Elwood Tenkaichi: An Arthur Story
by Helga Pataki X
Summary: When Elwood City holds its very first junior martial arts tournament, kids from all over town enter to win. Their reasons are many: some to prove themselves, others to settle old scores. In the case of Fern Walters—completely by accident! But things may not be what they seem as the competitors learn more about themselves, each other, and just what's really at stake here...
1. Chapter 1: Warriors?

Chapter One: Warriors?

Another Friday was nearing its end at Lakewood Elementary. As its students were eagerly awaiting the dismissal bell, Principal Francis Haney's voice crackled on over the school's speaker system.

"Uhm, attention, students! Don't forget about the upcoming first annual...Elwood City...Junior...Martial Arts...Tournament," Haney was clearly reading from a writeup Secretary Tingley had put together, "at the end of the month! Preliminaries will begin this Sunday at noon, so be sure to bring your A-Game! The winner of the tournament will receive a grand prize of one _thousand_ dollars! Isn't that exciting?"

Haney paused, as if he actually expected someone to respond.

"Oh! Uh, have a great afternoon, everyone! Whew! You'd think by now I'd be a pro at doing these school announcements, but let me tell you—oh," and the PA system crackled out.

With that, all of Mr. Ratburn's third grade class was ecstatic, frantic chatter buzzing about the room.

"ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS," Buster Baxter gushed in disbelief.

"This is gonna be a piece of cake," Binky Barnes laughed, making sure everyone heard. He was stopped short, however, once he realized his words had made Sue Ellen Armstrong snicker.

The class swelled a collective, "OOOOOOOH..."

"—Alright, class," Ratburn interrupted. "Settle down. I may not agree with this tournament, but it seems to have been met with no small amount of enthusiasm. Will those interested in entering for the Preliminaries please come up and sign the roster as you exit the classroom?"

* * *

Flippant as ever, the Tough Customers were ignoring their teacher, instead occupied only with themselves.

Rattles was reclined in his chair, hands behind his head. "Thousand bones is a lotta money."

Slink was the most animated by the news, hunched over his desk in amazement. "You guys got any idea what I'd do with a thousand dollars?!"

Rattles closed his eyes and chuckled. "Get a haircut?"

The gang laughed. All except for Molly MacDonald, of course, who was as unreadable as always. Rattles took notice.

"Whattaya think, MacDonald?"

"I think Haney's finally lost it," she said, staring out the window beside her at nothing in particular.

"You gonna compete?"

"Pfft."

"Yeah...I thought so."

Slink tensed up, snapping his gaze back towards Rattles. "Dude..."

"I'm just sayin'. I don't blame her. Definitely gonna be more of a guy's crowd."

Molly didn't seem too bothered by the insult. She turned slowly to face Rattles.

"That mean you're gonna compete?"

"Eh," he sighed with a shrug, "I'm pretty bored of pounding the third graders. Plus, a tournament means rules, and rules are a total buzzkill."

"Yeah," Molly nodded. "Knitting seems more your speed." The corner of her mouth curled ever-so-slightly.

Rattles bolted upright, shooting out of his seat as the metal legs of his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

"Did I hit a nerve?" she teased.

"Say that to me again."

Molly rose to meet him.

Slink gulped before muttering, "C-c'mon, guys—"

"—I said: _knitting_ seems more your speed."

Even their teacher was afraid to shatter the silence that followed.

"You know what?" Rattles growled. "Thousand bones or no, any excuse to wipe that smirk off your face is good enough for me."

"Careful, Rattles. That almost sounded like a challenge."

"Sure did, didn't it?"

Molly huffed, amused. "Alright, Rattles. See you Sunday."

"Just make sure you show up."

"Pfft."

With that, Molly walked out of the classroom with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She strolled right past their teacher who was stunned, but unable to act as the dismissal bell rung immediately afterwards.

* * *

Arthur Read and friends met outside the school doors.

"So?" Francine bubbled as they descended the school steps. "Who else is going to enter?" The others couldn't remember the last time they saw her this excited.

"_Enter_?" Muffy Crosswire laughed. "I intend to win!"

"MUFFY?" Arthur and Buster blurted together in disbelief.

"And why not?" Muffy scoffed, "I've never had the chance to properly demonstrate Crosswire Style before on anyone but Bailey! This will be the _perfect_ opportunity."

"Well, don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're my best friend," Francine smirked.

"I would certainly hope not!" Muffy retorted, flipping her hair back. "Well, I'm off to prepare. See you all Sunday!"

Muffy offered them a posh wave as her limousine pulled up. A battered Bailey grunted as he stepped out to open her door, his arm in a cast. He offered them a nod, causing both Buster and Arthur to gulp.

"So?" Francine prodded. "Are you guys gonna enter, too?" She couldn't conceal a devious smile; she knew the answer.

"Who, m-me?" Buster muttered.

"I, uh..." Arthur was blushing.

Francine laughed. "Go figure!"

"But, Francine!" Concern was clear in Arthur's voice as they walked to the bike racks. "Binky Barnes is competing! What if the other Tough Customers join, too? W-what if you have to fight Molly MacDonald?"

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.

"Don't be such a sourpuss, Arthur," she finally said. "It's a tournament! If she does anything crazy, she'll get disqualified. There are rules, remember?"

"And immediate medical attention," Buster teased.

"If you won't compete, at least come to see us kick butt!" Francine said, unlocking her bike.

"We'll be there," Arthur sighed. "Don't worry."

* * *

Later, at the Walters' Residence...

"YOU SIGNED ME UP?!"

Fern Walters had never been more outraged.

"Please don't be so upset, honey," Mrs. Walters soothed. "You might actually enjoy it!"

"Martial arts? _Fighting_? ME?"

"Yes, you, dear. This could be a great opportunity if you let it!"

Fern was at a loss for words, absolutely dumbstruck.

"And more importantly, it's an opportunity for you to make a friend or two."

"...I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FIGHT!"

"What about all that time you spent with Mr. Wu?"

"Tai Chi is a soft style, mom! It's not about combat, it's—ugh! How am I supposed to win this stupid—"

"Honey, it's not about winning. I promise. It's about the experience."

Doria knelt to meet her daughter, whom she'd not seen this upset since she accidentally recycled one of Fern's old Agatha Christie novels.

"Just try it, Ferny. For me? If it really is the end of the world, then you can quit. I promise your father and I won't be mad or think any less of you."

Fern simmered in silence before finally sighing.

"Sweetpea, it's not about the competition. It's about making new friends. Is that so bad?"

Fern thought hard. It was a very serious question. "...No."

Doria smiled and sighed, moving in to kiss Fern's cheek. "Who knows? You might actually have some fun."

Fern merely grumbled as she trudged to her room, shutting her door behind her with just enough force to let Doria know she wasn't completely off the hook.

* * *

Prunella Deegan and Marina Datillo were on their backs against the green grass of Turkey Hill park. They sky was blue above them, but the girls weren't watching the clouds sail by.

Prunella's eyes were closed; she had recently begun trying to see the world through sound—the way Marina did. Marina thought it was more amusing than anything else; she feigned annoyance whenever she caught her but, in truth, she found it flattering.

Prunella thought aloud, "Do you think a thousand dollars is enough to meet J.R. Ticklepenny?"

Marina giggled. "What, are you thinking of entering the tournament?"

"No way! It just...kinda got me thinking, you know?"

Marina smiled, closing her eyes for a moment. "It _is_ a lot of money..."

"Yeah," Prunella sighed.

A few seconds passed as they laid in silence before Prunella spoke again, her face brightening.

"What if...you entered?"

Marina's eyebrows rose for a moment before furrowing. "I...dunno..."

"You'd be great, don't you think? Heck, Marina—you'd even make history!"

"I guess I never considered it," Marina processed, almost to herself. She had never heard of a blind martial artist before. "You really think I could?"

"Are you kidding?" Prunella laughed. "You're like a demon out on the soccer field!"

"I suppose it couldn't be that much different from soccer...could it?"

"Just pretend your opponent is the ball!"

They both erupted into laughter. When they had finally recovered, Marina stood up off the ground.

"You know what, Prunella? I'm gonna do it...I'm gonna sign up for the Preliminaries."

Prunella beamed. It was strange; she had never noticed how pretty Marina was before now. "...Just wait till they get a look at you, Mari."

The sun peered out from behind a cloud, shining down on Marina's smile.


	2. Chapter 2: Preliminaries Begin

Chapter Two: Preliminaries Begin

Sunday had arrived.

The Preliminaries took place inside Lakewood Elementary's gymnasium. The room was packed with kids from all over Elwood City, with students from Mighty Mountain and even Glenbrook Academy.

As promised, Arthur and Buster came to show their support. Unfortunately for Arthur, he hadn't come alone.

"Don't you think D.W. is a little young to be spectating this kind of thing?" Buster finally asked.

"Don't tell me! My parents made me bring her. Between you and me, I think they'll take any excuse just to have the house to themselves," Arthur snapped. Buster snickered.

"Look at all these kids, Nadine," a wide-eyed Dora Winifred Read exclaimed.

Coach Bumpus happened to be standing nearby, and noticed Arthur's little sister speaking to herself. He offered Arthur a concerned glance.

"Don't mind her, Coach. She's just talking to her imaginary friend..."

"Oh," he squealed. "Isn't that adorable?"

D.W. rolled her eyes as Nadine materialized above the waxed floor beside her.

"I wouldn't have thought Elwood had so many young martial artists," Nadine thought aloud. "Then again...it could just be the prize money."

"Prize mon—that's right!" D.W. leapt in front of Arthur, her slippers squeaking against the floor. "Arthur! Why aren't you entering? The winner gets a bajillion dollars, don't they? Don't you have any idea how many Pretty Ponies we could get with that kind of money?"

"It's one _thousand_ dollars, D.W., and I'm not entering because..."

"Because why?"

"B-because I'm not into this sort of thing! Now just calm down—"

"—But what about that time you punched m—"

"D.W!" Arthur hissed. Buster and Nadine cringed.

"Just...come on," he grumbled, taking her by the hand towards the bleachers.

"Maybe D.W. should enter, with an attack like that," Buster joked.

Arthur was too exhausted to be upset.

"Did you _have_ to try to embarrass your brother like that in front of all these people?" Nadine asked, hovering alongside D.W.

"All I did was mention it. What's the big deal?"

"I just think you could stand to be a little nicer t—"

Nadine stopped cold, her eyes wide. Across the gym and its sea of people, someone was staring at her. Fern Walters was frozen in shock.


	3. Chapter 3: A Fateful Meeting

Chapter Three: A Fateful Meeting

Fern's eyes darted across the room, careful not to stray too far from the girl who seemed to be defying gravity by the bleachers. How was it that no one else seemed to notice her?

_Am I...losing my mind?_

She finally blinked, but the girl was gone.

"What?" she whispered.

"I said the registration desk is over there," an anxious George Lundgren repeated. "Do you want to come with me?"

"You're...telling me you didn't see that just now?"

"See what?"

"I-it was nothing...let's get you registered," Fern sighed, massaging her eyelids before they continued towards the line for last-minute registration.

"Are you alright, Fern?"

"I probably could have used some more sleep before today..."

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired, too. I was too excited to sleep."

"Excited, huh?" she teased.

"Of course," George laughed. "Weren't you—OOF!"

George had accidentally bumped into the towering Molly MacDonald, falling backwards onto the floor.

"O-oh! I'm sorry, I..."

"Watch where you're going, coat rack."

"I—"

"Hey!" Fern stepped between them.

As Molly and Fern stared at each other in silence, sizing each other up, everyone around them gawked in suspense. George gulped, watching them for what seemed like an eternity.

"Hm," Molly finally smirked. "Cute outfit."

Fern's mother had gotten her a purple karate gi as a kind of peace offering. The gesture was entirely unsuccessful.

"C'mon, George," Fern groused, striding past her.

They had only taken a few steps before Molly called out to them. "Hey."

Fern turned around, unsure of what was about to happen.

"...Good luck," Molly said, a strange sincerity in her voice.

Overcoming her surprise, Fern nodded before continuing on with George.

"You...you didn't have to do that for me, Fern."

"No one talks to you like that. Not while I'm around."

George had rarely seen Fern so severe.

"You may be cut out for this sort of thing after all," he smiled.

* * *

"Did I just see Molly MacDonald get stared down by a third grader?" a voiced taunted from behind Molly.

It was Rattles, along with Slink.

"H-hey, Molly," Slink muttered from behind Rattles.

"Look who it is," Molly smirked, not bothering to turn around. She was busy wrapping her hands in athletic tape. "I was beginning to worry you might not show."

"And miss out on the fight of the century? Dream on."

"Fight of the century, huh?" Molly laughed as she finished taping up her arms. "You always did think pretty highly of yourself," she sighed, turning to face the boys.

Slink involuntarily took a step back. Molly was decked in a navy blue tank top with matching karate pants that were tucked to her ankles by bright yellow athletic tape wrapping down across her feet. The same tape covered her hands nearly up to her elbows. She hadn't yet pulled on the pale blue uwagi that hung past her hips-its sleeves torn off, held in place by an orange, tattered belt.

Molly and Rattles stood face to face, grinning at one another in silence.

"Uh, h-hello?" Slink interrupted.

Molly finally looked away to Slink. "Where's Bink?" Rattles took the opportunity to relax.

They all walked to the far edge of the bleachers, sitting down along the corner of the lowermost bench.

"Not sure, actually," Slink admitted. "He didn't wanna ride with us. Said somethin' about...making an oppression?"

"_Im_pression," she corrected without really thinking about it as she reclined against the steps behind them. "Must be a girl," she chuckled.

"A girl? _Our_ Bink?" Rattles was tightening his shoelaces. He was wearing his same old blue Chuck Taylors. "No way—"

Suddenly, all the lights in the gym went out. A slick rock track screeched on over the speaker system, drowning out the room's confusion. With a loud clack, a single spotlight shined on the doorway. Its doors swung open, slamming into the walls and sending echoes across the floor. Smoke obscured the entrance as it flooded into the room. Out of it stepped one Binky Barnes, decked out in fiery red trunks, black elbow pads, knee-pads, and red lace-up boots.

Elwood's students cheered as the titanic leader of the Tough Customers sauntered further into the gym, its occupants making way as he never broke his stride towards Taekwondo prodigy Sue Ellen who, as it became clearer what was happening, was trying her best not to crack up. Their standoff was heralded by a rising, "OOOOOOOH," from the crowd. At the far side of the gym, Molly was shaking her head while Rattles and Slink nodded in approval. All were smiling, though.

"Binky," Sue Ellen laughed, "what—"

"Ah-ah," Binky whispered as they stared at each other. "Don't spoil the show..."

Binky's entrance music squawked off as the lights thunked back on, one after the other.

"That's quite enough, Mr. Barnes," a vexed Ms. Tingley sighed, parting the crowd to break up the tension.

Lunch lady Leah MacGrady could be seen quietly closing the gym doors as Mr. Morris, Lakewood's janitor, packed up two fog machines behind her.

"Now _that's_ an entrance," Francine applauded. A wide-eyed Muffy Crosswire steamed in indignation.

"Try and steal _my_ show, will he? We'll just see about that," Muffy muttered to herself.

* * *

Prunella Deegan and Marina Datillo were standing against the gym's far wall.

"What was that all about?" Marina wondered.

"Oh, that was just Binky Barnes showing off. He's mad at Sue Ellen for throwing a match they had in judo class."

"You guys have judo class?"

"This school is kind of weird."

"No kidding," Marina laughed.

"Oh, that reminds me," Prunella said, rummaging through her bookbag.

"Hm?"

"I made this for you," Prunella said, holding out her hand.

Marina reached out to grab what felt like a long strip of cloth. It was old, she could tell, but it was smooth as she ran it through her fingers, and smelled like potpourri.

"What is it?"

"It's a blindfold. Everyone should know how special you are just by looking at you, but I wanted you to look good too, and...well, red is a good color on you. I cast a good luck charm on it, too. Not that you'll need it—"

Marina threw her arms around Prunella before she could finish.

"Thank you, Prunella." Her words were soft against Prunella's ear.

"Don't mention it, Mari," Prunella smiled, returning her embrace. "Now let's see you try it on."

Marina placed it across her eyes, tying it behind her hair. The excess was long enough to reach the middle of her back. As long as she wore it, Prunella's scent would always be with her. Marina struck a typical Tony Wu pose, causing them both to snicker. "How do I look?"

Marina had worn her yellow gymnastics unitard. It had two black stripes that ran down both her sides, and long sleeves that spanned her arms with holes for her thumbs; around her wrists were silvery-white sweatbands, and she wore traditional kung fu slippers on her feet. Over her unitard, she wore mandarin collared crop top that was black with silver accents. The red of her blindfold lent a striking contrast.

"You belong here," Prunella grinned.


	4. Chapter 4: Meet the Fighters!

Chapter Four: Meet the Fighters!

The Preliminaries were a grueling gauntlet. It didn't take long to weed out who had entered solely for the prize money, and who actually had fighting chops. As the matches went on and the competitors became clearer, it came to surprise all in attendance that Lakewood Elementary seemed to possess most of the city's best fighters.

The Tough Customers all qualified to no surprise, with the mammoth Binky Barnes displaying an inspired showmanship for the audience; he quickly became a fan-favorite. Due to the random nature of the match-ups, however, the rivalries among them remained unsettled, only stoking the fires between Binky and Sue Ellen, as well as Rattles and Molly.

One of the more surprising competitors who qualified turned out to be none other than third grader Jenna Morgan, who impressed with her ferocious demonstration of Muay Thai.

Most surprising of all, perhaps, was the unstoppable rise of Mighty Mountain student Marina Datillo, whose blindness didn't seem to hinder her White Crane kung fu one bit.

Of course, as Crosswire Motors was a sponsor of the tournament, Muffy just happened to qualify as well, though she turned out to be no slouch in the ring, either.

But in what many in attendance would forever chalk up to a fluke, Fern Walters managed to qualify for the tournament after Francine Frensky, drunk on her own hype and ecstatic to be pitted against such an inexperienced opponent, tripped herself, launching face-first out of the ring.

* * *

"You did it, Fern!" a battered George gushed.

"But I didn't even do anything!"

"Which is pretty impressive, if you ask me—" George laughed before suddenly clutching his side. "Ow! Hurts to laugh..."

"I really wish you hadn't entered, George," Fern scolded, rushing to aid him. "Lean on me."

"And let you have all the fun? Besides, I got to see Fern Walters beat Francine Frensky in a fight. Best day eve—ow!"

She knew the only reason he had entered the Preliminaries was to make sure she didn't have to go through it alone. It hurt her to see him in pain; she felt responsible.

"Come on, tough guy," Fern sighed as they walked over to the nurse's station at the far corner of the gym. There was quite a line.

"WILL ALL QUALIFIED COMPETITORS PLEASE GATHER 'ROUND HERE," Principal Haney hollered from across the room.

"Go on," George assured Fern. "I'll be fine."

She hated leaving him there, but made her way through the thinning crowd to join Molly, Jenna, Binky, Sue Ellen, Muffy, Rattles, and Marina. Haney spoke once she arrived.

"Firstly, I just want to say how proud I am for so many of our own students to be competing in the tournament! Fine work, every one of you—even you, Miss Datillo. Fine work indeed!"

"Yeah," Rattles scoffed. "Great work, Walters."

Fern glared at the floor.

"Lay off, Rattles," Molly groaned.

"Uhm, quite right, Miss MacDonald," Haney muttered, adjusting his spectacles. "Now then, the tournament will be held a week from today at the newly completed Crosswire Stadium downtown. I'm told it's going to be quite the production, and they want to interview each of you for a video package they're putting together for the audience."

"That...is so cool!" Binky pumped his giant fist. He and Rattles immediately initiated an elaborate handshake that made Molly roll her eyes.

"Uhm, d-do we have to, sir?" The last thing Fern wanted was to be on video for something like this.

"I'm afraid so, Miss Walters. It's a part of the contract you signed when you entered the competition. Now, now! Don't look so glum! You should take pride in having come this far!"

"But I didn't even—"

"Now, the camera crew just arrived and are waiting for you all just outside the school. So go on—and don't forget to smile!"

The qualifiers all made their way toward the exit, earning an applause from everyone left in the gym. As they started to head out, Sue Ellen caught up to Marina.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but would you like any help getting outside?"

"Thanks, but I can manage," Marina said calmly. She seemed to be perfectly aware of her surroundings, avoiding the people in her way and heading in precisely the right direction.

"O-oh. Okay."

She moved on ahead of Sue Ellen, who now found herself walking beside Fern.

"She sure is something, isn't she?" Sue Ellen asked as she studied Marina.

"Um, yeah," Fern muttered. She wasn't sure how she should have responded to being acknowledged by Sue Ellen after so long.

_That's the first thing you say to me after all this time?_ she thought. _Whatever. Maybe George is right. I do need a teacher...I'm in way over my head, and Sue Ellen is the best fighter I know. It couldn't hurt to ask..._

"S-Sue Ellen...I wanted to a—"

"—Listen, Fern...I know why you entered."

"Huh?"

"It's okay! I...I get it. It wasn't fair to you, ghosting on you the way I did...but this is no way to go about getting my attention. This is no place for you. You could get seriously hurt!"

Fern stopped, dead in her tracks. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"I didn't—"

"—I mean it, Fern. We may not be close anymore, but I still don't want to see you get hurt." She placed her hand on Fern's shoulder. "People change. They...they grow, and sometimes...well, sometimes people outgrow each other. I'm sorry. Really, I am. But this is crazy, Fern. I really think you should forfeit while you can."

With that, she hurried away through the doors. Fern stood like a statue, desperately trying to believe what had just happened. George hobbled over to her, catching his breath.

"Well? Did you guys make up?"

"She...she actually believes I entered the tournament...just to get her attention."

George immediately wheezed in uncontrollable laughter before abruptly squeaking in pain as he toppled over.

"George!"

"I'm okay..."


	5. Chapter 5: Is that Possible? Proposal

Chapter Five: Is that Possible? Proposal

Naturally, Muffy insisted on being interviewed first, though not before her makeup crew was finished with her.

"Well, then," the interviewer sighed. "I guess now's a good a time as any to run through how this is gonna work." He was a somewhat pudgy man, perhaps in his mid-forties. He wore his receding hair in a rattail. He was dressed in jeans and an old, beat-up leather jacket. With him were two other crewmen: the camerawoman and the boom operator.

There were varying degrees of enthusiasm among the kids. After years of acting out wrestling promos in his bathroom mirror, Binky couldn't have been more excited to do one for real. Molly, on the other hand, could not have been more bored.

"It's nothing complicated, so don't worry," he continued, looking towards a nervous Jenna. "All we wanna know is your name, your age, and why you entered the competition, as well as anything you feel is worth adding. Easy-peasy."

Jenna seemed to relax a bit as Muffy finally stepped forward.

"Now, then!" Muffy squawked. "Are we ready for my close-up?" She tossed her hair with a flick of her wrist.

"Wait a minute," the interviewer paused. "I count seven of you. Where's the eighth?"

"About that, sir," Sue Ellen spoke up. "She won't be—"

Fern burst through the school doors, catching her breath.

"Sorry, everybody...sorry. Sorry. I'm here..."

_Poor girl_, Sue Ellen thought to herself as she shook her head.

"Great! We're ready to start." The camera crew seemed to perk up. "Just over here, Miss Crosswire...perfect. Now, whenever you're ready."

Muffy cleared her throat before striking a pose she must have seen in a fashion magazine, snapping her gaze into the camera with lightning speed.

"In case you've been living under a rock, I'm Mary Alice Crosswire: heiress to the Crosswire Motors Empire—but my friends call me Muffy," she winked. "I'm eight and half years old, and the sole creator of what I like to call Crosswire Style. Think of this tournament as its Grand Opening. Take it from me: when you see it in the ring, you'll be blown away!"

"Wonderful," the interviewer squeaked without a modicum of sincerity. "Who's next?"

Binky strode up before the camera, chest puffed out. "Um. Can I have a microphone?"

"See that up there?" the man asked, gesturing towards the boom mic being held above Binky. "We've got you covered, buddy. You've got nothing to worry about—"

"Can I have one anyway?"

"Uh...Jay? Hand him one of the backups, will you?"

One of the crewmen—the boom operator, dug around their equipment bag to fish out a microphone with a ratty windscreen. "It's not set up—"

"Doesn't matter," Binky assured, snatching it out of Jay's hand. "Now can I go?"

"It's all you, big guy," the interviewer sighed.

"...My name is Binky Barnes, and I'm head honcho of the Tough Customers. We're the baddest bruisers in this town, and don't you forget it!"

Rattles whooped off camera as Molly facepalmed.

"And as luck would have it, this tournament offered the perfect opportunity to settle an old score. That's right. Not a day's gone by that I haven't thought about what Sue Ellen—the supposed 'taekwondo master,' did to me. No one throws a match against me! No one crosses Binky 'The Bruiser' Barnes and gets away with it! Well, let me tell you—I've trained hard since that day—trained like you wouldn't believe! Why? Because I knew...I knew this day would come. So let me just say this: I hope you brought a blanky, Sue Ellen. Because revenge is a dish...best served cold. I'm nine."

"Kid's a natural," the camerawoman muttered with a smirk.

"...R-Riveting. Um, who'd like to go next? Jenna, wasn't it? How about you?"

"O-okay! My name is eight—I mean, my name is Jenna Morgan, and I'm eight years old. I entered the tournament because I wanted to do something people could remember me for...Is that okay?"

"That was great, Jenna. Short and to the point. Very refreshing," he winked. "Alright, who's up?"

"I'll g—" Marina was interrupted by Rattles, who swaggered into view, cracking his knuckles as he spoke.

"'Sup. Name's Rattles, no doubt you've heard. And as nice as a thousand bucks sounds right about now, that ain't why I'm here. Nah, see, my reason's a bit more personal. This right here? This is about respect. And what better way to put someone in her place than in front of a live audience? That's the kinda smackdown I'm talkin' about."

"Just gonna roll with that one," the interviewer said under his breath. "Miss Datillo, why don't you go ahead?"

"My name is Marina Datillo. I'm t—I mean, nine years old, and I'm competing because someone special believed that I could. That person was right, and I intend to prove it."

"Very inspiring, Marina. Which of you three wants to go next?"

Sue Ellen stepped forward without hesitation.

"Hi! I'm Sue Ellen Armstrong and I'm eight years old. The reason I entered the tournament was to get better as a martial artist. I want to be the best that I can be!"

"Excellent! Very noble for your age. Molly? Why don't we go with you next?"

Molly didn't bother moving from her seat on the school stoop. When it became clear she wasn't going to throw the camera crew a bone, they moved the setup to accommodate her.

"Could you...part your hair a bit? We can hardly see your face under there!"

But Molly only popped a bubble with her chewing gum.

"I wouldn't push it," Binky laughed. "She's been patient enough as it is."

"I see...well, uh, please state your name."

"Molly."

"...and your age?"

"Nine."

"...why did you enter this competition?"

The corner of her mouth rose as she continued to chew. He traded nervous glaces with his colleagues before turning to the last competitor.

"Fern, right? It's your turn."

"Uh...my name is Fern Walters and I'm, um, eight years old and...and I'm here b-because...because my mom signed me up..." Fern immediately lowered her face in embarrassment. Rattles could be heard howling in the background.

"...Huh. Well, that's a wrap! Great, uh, work everybody. Good luck in the tournament!"

With that, they packed up and got in their van.

"Remind me never to have kids," Jay joked as they drove off.

* * *

Parents arrived to pick up their kids until Prunella, Marina, Molly, and Fern were left. The trees were swaying in a breeze that started to cool as the sun began to set. Fern and Molly mostly listened to the conversations of Marina and Prunella as they all sat on the steps of the school. Then Molly spoke.

"Walters."

"Whu—"

"What's your style?"

"My style?"

"Your fighting style. I never got to see it, and I'm curious."

"Oh, I um...I don't have a, uh..."

Molly pulled out a new stick of gum as she waited for Fern to finish her sentence.

"...Tai chi?" Fern blushed.

"You're kidding."

Now Marina and Prunella were listening. Molly shook her head as she used the wrapper to grab the used-up wad of gum from her mouth, rolling it into a ball.

"No...I never meant to join this tournament. It was true when I said my mom signed me up."

Molly flicked the rolled up gum at the nearby garbage can, nailing her shot. "What're you gonna do?"

"I...I don't know...maybe Sue Ellen was right. I should just forfeit."

"—No way! You can't listen to her," Marina joined. "Just because someone says you can't do something doesn't make it true. You should never let anyone tell you what you can and can't do."

"But how can I compete with you guys? I can't do any of the amazing things you two did today."

"You need a teacher," Molly sighed.

"The tournament is in a week," Fern despaired. "Everyone who qualified seems to have been practicing some sort of martial art for who knows how long. It wouldn't make a difference..."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Marina grinned.

"Can I let you two in on a secret?"

"What is it?" Fern queried.

Prunella gasped. "Mari, don't!"

"Oh, come on, Prunella. She needs our help!"

Molly leaned closer towards them.

"But they—oh, fine," Prunella relented.

"What?" Fern stressed, "What are you talking about?"

"Before yesterday," Marina started, "...I didn't know kung fu."

Molly snorted in disbelief, turning away.

"I...don't get it," Fern admitted.

"It's not a joke," Marina laughed. "It's true."

"But how is that possible? Before today, I had never seen anyone move the way you did earlier. I thought for sure it was something you'd practiced for years—"

Marina giggled as Prunella sighed.

"What if...I said I could—" Prunella hesitated. She continued after Marina had placed her hand on hers. "What if I said you could earn a year's worth of training in one day?"

Molly's ears twitched. But Fern was still lost.

"That...would definitely solve my problem," Fern remarked. "But—"

"Go on," Molly interjected.

"I...I think I can send you guys to another dimension where time moves...differently."

Fern immediately threw up her arms as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, come _on_, Prunella!" she groaned.

"—You _think_, or you can?" Molly redirected.

Prunella and Marina faced each other before smiling. Marina's mother then pulled up in her SUV.

"If you decide you're up for it, just let me know," Prunella assured them as she and Marina stood up. "You can come over to my house, and I'll cast the spell."

With that, they waved goodbye as they boarded the car and drove off.

"...Pick a day," Molly said after a long silence.

"You can't be serious—"

"Did you get the sense they were yankin' our chain?"

"...N-not exactly, but—"

"—Me neither. This is your chance. Are you gonna take it, or let Little Miss Perfect be right about you?"

Fern was taken aback.

"Pick a day," Molly repeated.

"...we have Wednesday off this week," she muttered.

"Good," Molly sighed as she grabbed her skateboard and rose to her feet.

She was about to ride away before Fern called out. "Hey, hold on a minute! I thought you were waiting to be picked up!"

Molly only waved as she tore away across the asphalt.

That evening, Doria Walters surprised her daughter with a rental of the latest Sherlock Holmes movie she had picked up from the library. It was meant as a pre-emptive consolation prize, as she could not have foreseen her daughter actually qualifying for the tournament. The movie wasn't very good but, to her surprise, Fern seemed to get a kick out of its failures as an adaptation. It made Doria happy to hear her child laugh.


	6. Chapter 6: Preparations, Discoveries

Chapter Six: Preparations, Discoveries

The next week had begun. The competitors tried their best to concentrate during school—save the Tough Customers, of course, but the Tournament loomed large in everyone's mind.

In the basement of Rattles's house, Binky was acting as his spotter, with Rattles jabbing his punching bag as Binky held it in place. His rapid strikes were explosive as he exhaled sharply through his lips. But there were no words between the two for nearly an hour before Binky suddenly grinned.

"What?" Rattles panted, still punching away.

"She's really got you fired up, doesn't she?"

"So?" he exhaled before violently sucking in more air, resuming his attacks.

"Just never seen you like this, is all."

"Hey...why we got a girl in the gang, anyway, Bink?"

"Molly's the toughest customer in this town. You know it and I know it. And so does Slink." Binky's hardened expression softened before he continued. "But somethin' tells me that's not what you really wanted to ask."

Rattles growled as he continued to pound the punching bag.

"Why's she always antagonizin' me all the time?"

"Ever think maybe you deserve it?"

"I'm serious, Bink. I'm sick of it. I got just as much right to run in this gang as she does...I'm just as tough as she is—tougher, even!"

His punches were getting harder, rocking even Binky, who remained silent as he let his friend vent.

"—With that smug attitude she's always got...Struttin' around like she owns the place...With her stupid breath, sweet from that gum she's chewin' all the freakin' time."

Binky's eyebrows began to furrow.

"—And her stupid auburn hair, 'comes down over her eyes..."

Binky scanned the floor in confusion as the force from Rattles's punches swayed him.

"...And her stupid skin—why's it gotta be so—so smooth and toned and, and—"

Binky's eyebrows could go no higher, nor could his jaw drop any further.

"Sometimes I just—I just..."

Rattles's punches slowed to a stop.

"Oh."

Rattles stared blankly at the punching bag as they both stood in silence.

After a good minute and half, Binky finally spoke up. "Why don't you, uh...take a break..."

"Yeah," Rattles whispered before shambling upstairs with a thousand yard stare.

Alone, Binky stood in the basement, massaging his eyelids before snorting into a smile. He yelped, suddenly, as the punching bag tore open, flooding sand everywhere.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in Prunella's room...**

Marina and Prunella were seated at Prunella's scrying table.

"Mari, are you sure you want to use the Sphere of Protraction again so soon?"

"What are you so worried about?"

"I just don't want us to end up fifty years old and still be in the fourth grade."

"All I need is another week inside," Marina laughed. But Prunella wasn't amused. "Listen," she continued, leaning forward. "Thanks to you, I'm now one of the strongest fighters in this city. But I know I won't have a shot at being number one without just a little more time."

"Well...alright. But just one week. I could use the opportunity to catch up on some studying..."

"You're the best, Prunella!"

"This is true," she admitted with a shrug.

* * *

**At the Crosswire Estate...**

"Daddy," Muffy whined as she methodically circled a defensive Bailey in her personal training ring. "Binky Barnes had the gall to make a dramatic entrance at the Preliminaries. He had music—"

Muffy zoomed in to strike Bailey with her right fist. He blocked.

"—and smoke—"

Then, with her left elbow. He blocked.

"—and _everything_," she griped, performing a successful leg sweep that landed the butler on his posterior.

Ed and Millicent Crosswire applauded their daughter's effective takedown from just outside the ring.

"Well, we can't have anyone stealing any attention away from the great Muffy Crosswire now, can we, muffin?" Ed simpered as Millicent helped Bailey down from the ring and out of the room, quietly consoling him all the while.

"That's what I'm saying," Muffy groused, wiping her face with a towel. "I simply _must_ have an entrance that's even more grand—more spectacular, more..."

"Expensive," Mr. Crosswire concluded, eyes glazed, but with a smirk.

"Oh, I knew you'd understand, Daddy," she rejoiced, leaping into his arms.

* * *

Having found a secluded spot at the local park, Sue Ellen sat in lotus position. With eyes closed, she contemplated the competitors' fighting styles: Binky's catch-wrestling, Jenna's muay Thai, Rattles's street fighting, Marina's fujian white crane kung fu, Molly's shotokan karate, Muffy's '_Crosswire Style_,' and Fern's...

Sue Ellen sighed, opening her eyes.

_Crazy girl_, she puzzled, rising in one smooth motion to begin flowing through hyeong forms. _I wonder if it's a cry for help?_

The surrounding trees rustled in a warm breeze.

_The responsible thing to do would be to tell someone...Perhaps if I explain to Mr. Haney, he'll understand. That way, she can be put out of harm's way._

Her taekwondo forms were impeccable as the sun shined down on her.

_I have to stay focused on what's most important...the kids in this city have started to catch up to me when it comes to martial arts. I have a feeling this tournament may not be like all the others…_

* * *

Aboard her skateboard, Molly surged across asphalt on her way home. She was coming up on her house when she saw her younger brother James ahead. He was with a group of kids his age, all of whom scattered once they heard the unmistakable sound of the dreaded Molly MacDonald approaching. She tore to a stop just outside the house.

"Hey, James," she smiled.

"Hi, Molly..."

Molly tilted her head with concern. "What's the matter?"

James looked anxious. There was something he needed to say, but...

"Were those kids givin' you problems just now? Wait here..."

"No—Molly, stop!" The strange severity in his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"What?"

"They're not the ones giving me problems," he huffed, on the verge of tears.

"Then what is it?" she asked softly. "Who is?" She knelt to meet him.

"Everyone's afraid of y-you, Molly. And because of that, they're...they're afraid of me too..."

After the initial shock, Molly could only hang her head in silence.

James walked inside, crying.

She stared at the house for a long while, too afraid to enter—her heart swollen with guilt.

_How long's he been holding this in_? she dared to wonder. _Why didn't he tell me sooner?_

_...would it've made a difference_? she scowled, kicking a pebble as hard as she could.

She sighed, taking a seat on the curb as she hid her face in her hands.

* * *

It took hours. Hours spent pacing, hours spent agonizing—formulating excuses, explanations, apologies. Hours spent crying. Eventually, Molly surrendered to the only course of action...

"Knock, knock," she announced softly, leaning against the open door to James's room.

James didn't respond as he laid on his bed, his back turned to her. His silence didn't exactly tell her to go away; she hoped it was a sign to come in. She seated herself on the opposite edge of his bed, watching the dust particles that sailed along the warm rays of sunlight beaming through his window. It would be dark soon.

"I'm sorry," James finally cooed.

"Sorry?" Molly repeated in disbelief, turning around to look at him. "What've you got to be sorry for?"

"I know why you are...the way you are," he started.

Molly parted her lips, but no words came.

"But I know you love me and only want the best for me, too," he continued, rolling over to look at his big sister. "That's...that's why I'm sorry."

After a heavy sigh, Molly could only shake her head. "How's a kid as good as you end up being _my_ brother?" she wondered.

"You're good, too," James was quick to point out.

But she could only huff as she looked away.

"I know you are," he said, as if reading her mind.

"Maybe, maybe not," Molly deflected. "Point is, something's gotta give."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean something has to change. I...have to change," she realized. "The fights, the Customers…"

James sat up in disbelief. "What're you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm done being...the way that I am."

"But—"

"No buts, James. You and me…we're all we've got," she sighed. "We have to look out for each other. Besides, maybe…" she trailed off for a moment, captivated by the dust floating along the light again. It was so quiet, James could hear his own heartbeat. "Maybe I need this as much as you do," she thought aloud.

"And don't you go feelin' guilty about this," she chided as she turned back around, knowing her brother all too well. "It's my choice…" she declared, perhaps more to herself than to James. "Got it?"

"Got it," James smiled.

"Now c'mon," she ordered, rising to her feet. "You look hungry," she smirked.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, the weight on his chest suddenly lighter.

"What do you want?"

She rolled her eyes when the only response she received was a guilty smirk.

* * *

"How can you eat that stuff?" Molly wondered aloud as she watched James devour his spaghetti and ketchup. The chicken alfredo she had perfected would continue to go unappreciated.

_At least he's smiling again_, she thought.

"You're really gonna compete in that tournament?" James garbled through his dinner.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Molly groaned. "And yeah, I am. Figured we could use the money. Plus, I agreed to train one of the other competitors…"

"You did?" he slurred before a gulp. "Why?"

"She impressed me," she sighed, quite unable to watch him eat anymore. "Before I found out she was in way over her head," she chuckled with a shake of her head.

James smiled from across the dinner table.

"What're you smirkin' at?" Molly interrogated with a playful severity.

"You don't think you're good, but you are."

_Tell that to the kid I sent to the nurse's office the other day_, she brooded.

"Just finish your pasta, wise guy..."


	7. Chapter 7: What'll it be, Fern? Warning!

Chapter Seven: What'll it be, Fern? Warning!

In bed, Fern was restless. She stared up at the ceiling, contemplating recent events: the Preliminaries, the interviews, that weird hallucination...and then there was Prunella's 'magic.'

She sighed, rubbing her face with both hands.

_Prunella's friend didn't seem like she was lying, but...how can that be possible? To learn an entire martial art in a single day..._

Fed up, she got out of bed. The house was lit only by moonlight, but Fern could see fine after laying in the dark for so long. She made her way to the bathroom to wash her face. She didn't bother turning on the light, as there was a nightlight plugged into the wall beside the mirror that hung over the sink.

After wetting her face for a while, she finally looked up to face herself.

"_This is no place for you_," Sue Ellen's voice echoed in her mind. "_I really think you should forfeit while you can..._"

_Is she right_? Fern wondered.

"_This is your chance_," Molly's voice chimed. "_Are you gonna take it, or let Little Miss Perfect be right about you?_"

"Molly," she muttered under her breath as she broke eye contact with herself.

_Why did she spend all that time waiting with me? She barely said a word..._

She was hungry, so she wandered downstairs to the kitchen. Fern mused in the light of the refrigerator as she held it open for some time.

_Can I trust her? I'd be crazy not to accept her help..._

Bologna. Bread. Mayonnaise. At this hour, it would do. After lazily scrounging it all together, she decided she needed some air, so she snuck her way outside to eat her sandwich on the front porch.

It was quiet beneath the starry sky, save for the songs of crickets all around. The air was cool and pleasant as Fern chewed mindlessly in moonlight, contemplating.

_Surely, it's not some Tough Customer prank to embarrass or hurt me...Molly doesn't even seem to like the others much. Then again, she doesn't seem to like anyone very much. I wonder_—

Nadine was floating in place across the street.

Beginning to actually fear for her sanity, Fern tried to remain calm as her heart rate intensified.

Nadine waved, earnest to appear as non-threatening as possible.

Fern gave a sheepish wave back as she chewed in silence, pop-eyed. Her eyes grew even wider as Nadine sailed closer, stopping right before the steps to the house.

"Nice night, huh?"

Fern nodded, swallowing. She was pressed up against the porch couch.

"Would you like some company?"

Fern shut her eyes hard for a moment before opening them again. Nadine was still there.

"I'm real," Nadine assured. "Don't worry."

"W-who are you?" Fern whispered, unsure if she should trust the small girl levitating in front of her.

"I'm Nadine."

"Uhm, a-are you a, uh, ghost?"

"No," she smiled. "Though, I'm hardly what I used to be..."

The cryptic answer did nothing to cure Fern's paralysis.

"What's your name?"

"F-Fern. Fern Walters."

"Please don't be afraid, Fern. I come in peace."

"S-so you're an alien?"

"No, not an alien," Nadine giggled. "I'm a friend."

"Why are you at my house?"

"It's about the tournament. I've come to warn you."

"The...tournament?"

Fern eased up, but only a little.

"You think I should forfeit, don't you?"

"Not at all, but that's for you to decide. What I meant to tell you is that there's a dark force at work in this city, and I think it has something to do with the tournament. Earlier at the Preliminaries, I sensed a great evil I had thought long gone. It was only for a moment, but I felt it. I thought it might be you, but..."

"But?"

"You're not exactly the most threatening person in the world," she grinned. "And now that I've had a chance to meet you, I don't sense any of that dark energy in you. However..."

"However?"

"You may be more cut out for the tournament than you think," she smirked.

Fern could only blink.

"If I'm right, this city—the world is going to need warriors. And that includes you. I can only do so much in my present state."

"What?! I'm not a warrior!"

"Fern, I can't tell you what to do. What I can tell you is that something wicked has come to Elwood."

"I'm an eight year-old poet! Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're the only one I can tell, besides D.W."

"Arthur's sister? What does she have to do with any of this?"

"I'm...tethered to the girl's soul. She's the only thing keeping me in Terrasphere."

"...What?!"

"It's not important. Just...keep in mind what I've said, okay? Be on the lookout for anything fishy. And if you do find anything, well, you know where the Reads live."

But Fern's brain was just about smoking.

"I have to go now. I've been away too long. It was nice to meet you, Fern Walters!"

Nadine warped into a spiral in midair, shrinking into nothing and leaving Fern speechless.

Mr. Walters eventually pulled up in the driveway beside the house. His job as a security guard meant he kept very irregular hours. He hurried out of the car to check on his daughter, who had been sitting motionless since he turned onto their street.

"Fern? Honey, are you okay?"

She looked at him, but couldn't say anything.

"Can't sleep?"

She shook her head. He sighed as he walked up the steps. He groaned dramatically as he sat beside her. Acting like an old man usually made her laugh, but she only wrapped her arms around him without a sound.

"What's the matter, Ferny? You're tense..." He held her close, massaging her shoulder. He was concerned by how stiff she was. It was like she was frozen. "Are you cold?"

She shook her head halfheartedly against his chest. He sat with her in silence, patient as always; Fern always spoke to him eventually.

"Dad?" she finally muttered.

"Yes, honey?"

"Would you still love me if I was crazy?"

"If you were crazy?" he laughed, incredulous. "What kind of a question is that? You know I'll always love you."

She believed him, and that gave her some comfort.

"Did something happen that you want to talk about? Is it that competition? I told your mother it wasn't a good idea—"

"I qualified."

"You did?" he blurted, perhaps a bit too loud for this time of night. "That's great!"

"It was a fluke. Francine tripped herself out of the ring, so I won by default."

He could not help but bask in a smug satisfaction. "Even better."

"I just...I'm not sure what I should do. I've been offered help, but I don't know if it's worth taking."

"Hmm," he pondered. "What does your heart say?"

Fern thought long and hard. "It says...that I should fight."

"What does your brain say?"

"That I'm not a fighter."

"Huh...That is quite the pickle, honey. Speaking of pickles, you gonna finish that sandwich?"

She sighed, handing it to him.

"Mmm," he chomped.

"Daaad..."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking..."

She listened to his heartbeat as he finished her sandwich.

"I think you should do what feels right, Ferny. No matter how scary it seems."

She contemplated his words in silence. He was right, she realized.

"...Fern?"

Fern had fallen asleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Tough Customer No More

Chapter Eight: Tough Customer No More

Binky, Rattles, and Slink were lounging at the Sugar Bowl after having downed their root beer floats. They were watching the mounted television as the local news ran a segment on the upcoming tournament.

"Yes, the first annual Elwood City Junior Martial Arts Tournament is shaping up to be quite the spectacle! Back to you, Rich."

Slink thought he would take the opportunity to seize the last nacho while the others were distracted. Unfortunately, the segment ended just as he had found the nerve to reach for it; Binky's gaze stopped him cold.

"S-so," Slink blurted, his voice breaking. "You guys ready for the tournament?"

"Hmph," Rattles scoffed. "Nobody stands a chance against me."

"Just hope you don't get matched up against Molly," Binky grinned.

Rattles stiffened, trying his best to keep his cool.

"I'm countin' on it," he bluffed.

"Mhm," Binky sighed, finishing the last nacho with a loud crunch as the door chime sounded. "Hey, speak a' the devil..."

Molly strode in, walking hard. Binky could tell something was wrong; he slid over so she could sit by him. Of course, that meant she would have sat across from Rattles, who was now petrified. But she only stood at the edge of their table.

"Hey, Molly," Binky greeted. "What took ya so long?"

"Hey, Bink...Listen, I can't stay. There's somethin' I gotta do."

"What is it? You okay?" Binky prodded.

"I-I...I can't roll with you guys anymore. I'm...I'm quitting the gang."

"WHAT?" Rattles erupted, shattering the ambiance of the dessert parlor and drawing the aggravated eyes of all its patrons and staff. "S-sorry..." He shrunk deeper into his seat.

"Molly," Binky started, "I'm not about to pry, but are you sure about this? We're family."

"Yeah," Slink interjected. "We're family!"

"I know, guys," Molly sighed, hanging her head. "But something's come up. I need you to spread the word: I'm...not a Tough Customer anymore."

The ensuing silence at the table became too much for Molly to bear.

"I'm sorry," she choked, rushing out the door.

Binky stood up and hurried after her, rushing past Arthur and friends who were seated a few booths away.

"Did you hear that?" Arthur gossiped. "Molly quit the Tough Customers!"

"She's definitely been replaced by an alien," Buster declared with a cool confidence.

"Buster," Arthur, Francine, Muffy, and The Brain groaned in unison, "be quiet."

Outside, the sky was darkening as a chill breeze filled the air.

"Molly!" Binky called out.

"Sorry, Bink," she sniffed, throwing down her skateboard. "I've made up my mind."

"I know. That's not why I'm here. I just wanted to say that if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to us. Just 'cause you're not a Tough Customer anymore doesn't mean we're not still your friends. Don't forget that...okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Hey," Binky soothed. "C'mere."

Molly held on tight as they embraced each other under the dimming sky.

"Thank you, Shelley," she whispered. "...for everything."

"Don't mention it, Molly," Binky smiled. "You're always welcome with us."

"I...gotta go," Molly breathed, finally letting go.

"See you at the tournament?"

"Count on it," she sniffed with a smirk.

Binky watched her skate away before heading back inside.


	9. Chapter 9: Training Begins

Chapter Nine: So Long, Earth! Training Begins

Wednesday had come.

Fern had just finished packing her backpack, zipping it closed with a heavy sigh.

_I can't believe I'm going through with this._

"I'm so glad you're making new friends, Ferny." Doria teased with a smile. "I told you so, didn't I?"

Fern laughed nervously.

"Enjoy your sleepover, honey. Call me if anything."

Fern embraced her mother, holding on for a long time. "...I love you, mom."

The effusive display caught Doria off guard. "I love you too, Ferny," she assured her. "Is everything alright?"

But Fern was quiet.

"Hey," she whispered. "It's only for a day. This will be good for you. I promise."

The sound of Molly's skateboard soaring across asphalt could be heard from outside.

"That's my cue," Fern sighed.

Doria leaned in to kiss Fern before touching her cheek. "Try to have fun."

"Mm…"

Molly's skateboard scuffed to a loud stop outside the house.

Fern lingered her gaze on her mother for a while before finally closing the door behind her. She turned around to see Molly checking her watch with a hand on her hip, one foot resting on her skateboard. "We're late. C'mon."

"We apparently have a whole year ahead of us," Fern complained as she dragged her feet down her front steps.

"And every second counts. Get on."

"W-what? Is that safe?"

Molly stared.

"Okay, okay," Fern groused, stepping onto the board behind Molly. "At least we'll have twelve months to heal when we break our legs..."

Molly smirked. "Kick off with me. And hold on."

Doria watched through the window as her daughter rolled away.

_Fern on a skateboard_, she thought. She could only grin.

* * *

"They're here," Marina smiled with a slight turn of her head.

Prunella rushed to her window, but couldn't see them. "Where? I don't—"

Molly and Fern soon sailed into view on the horizon.

"And here I thought _I_ was the clairvoyant?" Prunella groused, pretending to be annoyed, and much to Marina's amusement. "I'll go let them in."

Outside, Fern's muscles were starting to ache from being tensed for so long.

"You ever been to Prunella's before?" Molly asked, breaking their long silence as they swooped down the street.

"My mom invited her and some other girls over one time, but that's about as much interaction as I've had with her."

"Hm. Can't say I'm sure what to expect."

"If I had to guess? Crystals, incense, and tie-dye."

For a split second, she felt Molly's lungs contract as she held on from behind.

_Did she just...laugh_? Fern wondered in amazement.

They pulled up to meet Prunella leaning against her doorway. "Good morning, ladies!"

"Hey, Prunella," Fern greeted, stepping off Molly's skateboard. "Sorry we're late..."

"Don't sweat it, sister. You two've got _plenty_ of time," she winked.

"Every second counts," Molly said plainly as she popped her skateboard into her hands with a stomp.

"Oof," Prunella laughed. "That's gotta hurt," Prunella joked to Fern, who only shrugged. "Come on upstairs. Marina's here, too."

Prunella's older sister Rubella could not have seemed more disinterested in them as she flipped through a magazine on the living room couch.

Upon their ascent into Prunella's room, Molly huffed in amusement. "No tie-dye," she muttered to Fern, who really wished she hadn't.

"Hm?" Prunella inquired as they entered. Marina caught it and hid her smirk as she greeted them.

"Nice feng shui," Molly redirected, surveying the drapery and ornaments hanging overhead: an ankh here, an eye of providence there, and no shortage of crystals.

"Finally," Prunella rejoiced, "someone who gets it!"

"I'm glad you decided to go through with this," Marina said quietly to Fern.

"Well," she sighed, "sometimes, you have to let go of your expectations and go with the flow...at least, that's what my old tai chi teacher said to me once."

"Sound advice," Marina smiled.

"—So how is this going to work?" Molly interrupted. "We've wasted enough time as it is."

"Straight to business, huh? Okay," Prunella shrugged. "Come. Sit."

Molly and Fern seated themselves at the scrying table. Atop its center was something covered with a red velvet shroud. Fern eyed it with skepticism.

_Don't tell me it's a crystal ball._

"Ladies, I give you…"

Prunella dramatically unveiled a crystal ball from beneath the shroud.

"—The Sphere...of Protraction!"

Fern sighed.

"Ah, I see we've a skeptic! Well, let me tell you: what may appear to be a mere crystal ball is, in fact, much, much more. For, you see—"

Marina pretended to clear her throat loud enough to get the point across.

"Oh, fine. Time moves three hundred and sixty-five point twenty-four times faster within the Sphere. It has everything you need to last a whole year inside, but not much more—"

"—we only need the essentials," Molly interjected.

"Well, good. 'Cause that's all you get. I warn you, it's not always nicest place to be. The Sphere's environment will respond to the occupant's most dominant emotional state. The temperature can fluctuate wildly, and the gravity is heavier than what you're used to."

Throughout Prunella's explanation, Fern could not fathom how Molly was managing to keep a straight face.

"This isn't a vacation," Molly declared. "We're ready."

"Alright," Prunella grinned, cracking her fingers. "Place your hand on the Sphere. Oh, and you might wanna stand for this."

The girls rose, doing as Prunella had instructed.

"Ready?" After years of secret practice, Prunella was now ecstatic at the opportunity to show off her magic.

Molly nodded, as did Fern, though without any sincerity.

Prunella swirled her hand over the Sphere. "Sala-gadoola-menchicka-boo-la..."

Fern could not have been more embarrassed.

"Bibbidi-bobbidi-"

"You cannot possibly be seriou—"

But a sudden swirl of wind enveloped the room before Fern could finish. "What?" she exhaled.

As the wind intensified, the Sphere strobed a blinding white that washed over all of them.

"Boo!"

And with that final utterance, Molly MacDonald and Fern Walters had disappeared.

* * *

Once their eyes had recovered from the light of the Sphere, Molly and Fern realized they were now someplace...else. Their hands were still upon a crystal ball, on a table not unlike Prunella's, but that's where the similarities ended. The air was considerably warmer now, and much thicker. The sounds of their breaths echoed about the room, which seemed to be made of alabaster—its walls, its pillars, and its floor.

To their left were two beds, each surrounded by drapery for privacy. To their right, what seemed to be some kind of kitchen, or perhaps a pantry. And beside that, a bathroom.

Molly removed her hand from the ball first, inspecting their environs. Fern, however, was afraid to make any sort of movement at all.

Amidst the sounds of clanking, Fern caught an amused grunt from the kitchen area. "Hope you like rice," Molly complained, emerging back into the center room.

"It...it worked," Fern processed, "She wasn't kidding after all..."

Fern pulled her hand away from the crystal ball, stepping out of their enclosure. What she saw left her breathless.

Molly and Fern appeared to be adrift in a boundless sea of nothingness, a white expanse with no apparent beginning or end. Their little structure was the only thing for miles in any direction. Even the sky was indistinguishable from the ground she stood on. The sight brought her to her knees.

"There's...there's nothing. It's just a void!" Her voice reverberated across the heavy air as Molly walked up beside her, silent as she observed their surroundings.

"We're supposed to spend an entire year...in this place?" Fern wondered aloud.

"Just stay focused on what's important," Molly said, helping Fern up.

"How can you be so calm about all this? Aren't you the least bit overwhelmed?"

"A girl we go to school with just transported me to another dimension where I have to spend an entire year teaching karate to a third grader. What do you think? But none of that matters."

"It...doesn't?"

"Of course not. What matters is getting stronger. Now get changed. Training begins now."


	10. Chapter 10: Ki

Chapter Ten: Ki

"Alright, Walters," Molly challenged. "Let's see what you can do..."

Unsure of herself, Fern bowed to Molly, who chuckled before entering defensive stance, prompting Fern to raise her fists as if she were a boxer. Molly sighed.

"Now...come at me."

"Okay," she breathed. "Hyuh!" She lunged forward with her fist, but Molly merely stepped aside to catch her wrist, twisting it behind Fern's back. "-ah!"

"This isn't a schoolyard fight."

Molly let go, giving Fern a forceful push.

"You know why they call 'em martial arts?"

"N-no..." Fern admitted, nursing her wrist.

"Because this is an art, Walters."

"...but how can _THIS_ be art?"

"It's about discipline. It's about knowing yourself, your opponent, and how to express yourself-your mind, your body, and your spirit."

"My...spirit?"

Molly huffed, running her fingers through her bangs.

"This coming from the poet..."

A sudden pang of embarrassment pierced Fern.

"Look. Try to think of a fight as if it were a poem. Poems have lines and danzas right?"

"Stanzas."

"Whatever," Molly groaned, rubbing her eyelids. "You're lucky there's no one else around to hear this schmaltz...but you're an artist. And you're not just any kind of artist. You're a poet. That means you've got insight."

"Insight?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Walters. You're more in tune with your own soul than most people ever experience in their entire lives. Plus, you've got your dorky soft-style training-"

"-but tai chi isn't about fighting-"

"-that's not the point. The point is...you've got an innate understanding of life-force energy."

"Y-you mean chi?"

Molly leaned back, folding her arms with a grin. Fern blushed; Molly almost seemed impressed.

"What else can you tell me?"

"I don't remember much. Just that it's supposed to be some...sort of..."

Fern trailed off as the Sphere darkened and the air around Molly seemed to warp like waves of heat on a hot Summer day when, suddenly, the air ignited and the fourth grader was standing in the heart of a crimson blaze that surged around her, sending rhythmic waves of warm air that swept Fern off her feet. Molly was beautiful, her hair billowing like a dream as she stood gleaming-red and bright.

"Chi, ki-call it whatever you like. It's real, Walters," Molly stressed to a floored Fern who gaped, wide-eyed. "It's the energy, the power inside all living things. By drawing it out of the body, I can use it to hurt," she explained, stretching her arm out towards nowhere in particular and loosing a red orb of light from her hand out into the void, resulting in a loud explosion in the distance that made Fern wince.

"To heal," she continued, grasping Fern's wrist and helping her up as the pain miraculously dissipated; Fern looked up, dumbfounded.

"To defend," Molly smirked, summoning a gust of wind strong enough to send Fern rolling back to the ground.

"And that's not even the half of it," she teased, floating higher and higher above her.

"You...h-how?"

"Through training-and through an open mind and an open heart," Molly scolded, the Sphere returning to its neutral white as her aura suddenly vanished and she touched back down. "If you quit acting all high and mighty," she chided, "You'll see you have the same power in you." She held out her hand.

Fern only stared at the outstretched hand as a tear rolled down her cheek. But Molly didn't move.

_If only you could see what I see_, Molly thought.

Fern swallowed and, with a new enthusiasm, took Molly's hand. Molly couldn't fight a smile.

"As you grow stronger, your ki will grow with you, allowing you to do even more."

"Does ki ever run out?" Fern wondered.

"Of course it does. But it comes back with time. Regular ki, anyway..."

"You mean there's more than one kind?"

Molly thought in silence before speaking.

"As I said, what you just saw was ki I've developed through training and meditation. But we all have another ki-a deeper ki that can't be accessed, called genki."

"Genki?"

"...If all life were the product of an original fire, or big bang, genki is the spark we all share from that fire. It's the origin ki. Whereas regular ki can be replenished and cultivated, genki is finite. Once it's gone, so are you."

"That's...really beautiful," Fern admitted.

"Tch," Molly spat, turning away to hide her blushing face. "That's enough for today."

Fern took a moment before following after Molly, who was now headed back towards their island in the void.

"Oh, and Walters?" Molly didn't break stride as she spoke, not bothering to turn around.

"Yes?" Fern answered.

"We're not leaving this place...until you defeat me."

As she froze in place, calculating the gravity of what she had just heard, Fern thought she heard Molly chuckle in the distance.


	11. Chapter 11: Why do You Fight?

Chapter Eleven: Why do You Fight?

It was day two.

"C'MON," Molly shouted, her voice echoing throughout the Sphere. "Where is the girl I met that day at the Preliminaries? The one who stared me down without a trace of fear? What is this?"

Fern was huffing on the ground. "That was different-"

"-different how?"

"You called George a coat rack!" Fern snapped, staring daggers into Molly. She winced.

"Alright," she sighed, relaxing her posture as she hung her head, resting her hands on her hips. "Look. I'm sorry about that..."

"Don't apologize to me!"

"Wha-" Molly stopped. Fern was right. "Fine..."

Fern rose to her feet; she could tell the apology was difficult for Molly.

"So it's George, then," Molly deduced, folding her arms.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. You care about him."

"Of course I care about him. He's my-"

"Uh huh."

Fern shut her mouth in defeat. She blushed in silence, looking to her feet.

"...let that be your power," Molly mused aloud, unfolding her arms.

"...my power?"

"All it took was me calling George a name-"

"-a coat rack!"

"A...coat rack...for you to wake up."

Molly could see the gears turning in Fern's head as she tried to process her words.

"You're in this tournament because your mom signed you up. That's no reason to fight. But everyone needs a reason, Walters. Yours is for the people you care about. I see that now. Let that be your power."

"I...I dunno..." Fern felt tears coming, but she didn't know why.

"You are a fighter, Fern. You proved it to me that day, and you did it without throwing a single punch."


	12. Chapter 12: What's your Deal, Molly?

Chapter Twelve: What's your Deal, Molly?

It was day sixty.

Fern's sweat sizzled against the luminous ground as her breath was visible in the freezing air; she was quaking on all fours, trying to catch her breath in front of Molly, who relaxed her stance as she stood panting as well.

"Good enough," Molly exhaled.

"I can...do better," Fern huffed.

"I know you can," Molly grunted, helping Fern up. "But you can prove it tomorrow. You can't train if you've over-exerted yourself. Now, come on."

Molly supported Fern as they walked up the steps to their island in the void.

After they washed up, Molly prepared dinner. It didn't take long for her to catch on to the fact that Fern had taken a ravenous liking to her cooking; as an experiment, she'd grant Fern increasingly larger portions each day. But no matter how much she made, Fern would devour it all like a black hole.

_Where is this scrawny third grader putting it all_? she'd wonder.

"Thanks, Molly," Fern sighed, rubbing her belly. "You're almost as good as my dad," she laughed, her spirits suddenly dimming as she remembered how much she missed him.

Molly only replied with a grunt, as always.

When they had finished, it was time for sleep. After they had each nestled comfortably into their beds, Fern struggled to find the nerve to finally ask the question she'd been keeping to herself for over two months now.

"...Molly?"

"Yeah."

"...How did you learn to fight so well?"

Molly laid in silence long enough for Fern to assume she had fallen asleep.

"I had to," she finally answered.

The cryptic response had Fern furrowing her eyebrows.

"I didn't like who I was," she continued, "People always walkin' over me, always feelin' like I had no control...It made me so angry, I felt like I was drowning inside myself. Still feel that way, sometimes," she trailed off, either lost in thought, or perhaps realizing she'd said too much.

After two months of intensive training and little else, Fern had almost given up on having conversation with Molly. She had barely been able to get her to talk about anything other than karate, always either being brushed off, or at best receiving only a grunt as a reply. That she was suddenly willing to show vulnerability gave Fern hope:

_Maybe Molly's not a machine_, she realized. _Maybe she's just as lonely as I am..._

"Did it help?" Fern asked.

"At first, I thought so. But, now…" The image of James's face flickered in Molly's mind. She stirred. "I dunno..."

"...You've been very patient with me," Fern said softly.

"That'll change if you don't let me sleep."

"Sorry," Fern stammered. "Good night."

"Mm."

Molly was snoring before long.


	13. Chapter 13: Progress, Deduction

Chapter Thirteen: Progress, Deduction

Day one hundred fifty-two.

Fern and Molly had just finished breakfast.

"Why did you just leave?" Fern finally asked as they carried their dishes to the kitchen. "Couldn't you have just tried to reform the Tough Customers? Stop all the...you know, bullying?"

"I wasn't about to force change on those guys. 'Sides...I'm a girl. I couldn't afford to look soft..."

"But they're your friends, aren't they? I'm sure they would have listened to y-"

"Look, this wasn't about them, alright?"

Molly's outburst startled Fern, who nearly dropped her bowl as she fell silent.

"Just...trust me," Molly sighed, turning her face away. "It's better this way."

* * *

Later, during training...

"You quit...because people were afraid of you-afraid of what you represented."

"Walters, you better shut up if you know what's good for you."

"But why would something like that matter to you? Why suddenly want to change your image?"

"Drop it."

"Is it because you wanted to, or because you felt you had to?"

"Fern-"

"Clearly you didn't want to. This was a sacrifice. I can see it all over your face. But a sacrifice for what? Or for whom?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

"So it _is_ a whom...But who could make you want to sacrifice something so important? A friend? A boy? A girl? Or was it for someone closer?"

Molly lunged forward in a growl to strike Fern with her knuckles, but was deftly evaded.

"Family, then..."

Molly swirled around to deliver a spinning kick, which Fern blocked successfully.

"Of course!" Fern deduced, weaving out of the way of Molly's attacks. "Your reputation must have been having a negative impact on a sibling..."

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT JAMES-"

Molly delivered a gut punch to Fern, who fell to her knees. She was about to land a knee strike to Fern's face. But she halted.

There was no point in continuing.

"Tch!" Molly spat, snapping her face away before storming off. The Sphere became hot in Molly's wake, its white morphing to red.

_Nice work, Watteau_, Fern thought as she doubled over, nursing her belly. _Real smooth..._

That day saw no dinner, of course, so Fern had to fend for herself. Her guilt spoiled her appetite, so she didn't eat much before going to bed. Molly's ki radiated across the entire Sphere, the heat only subsiding once she fell asleep.

That night, Fern dreamt of her father.


	14. Chapter 14: Breakthrough

Chapter Fourteen: Breakthrough

Fern awoke to the sound of a dull boom in the distance. She was groggy at first, but the sweltering heat soon sobered her up. She jumped out of bed and brushed aside the drapery around Molly's bed.

She was gone.

"Molly?"

She hurried to the pantry, then the bathroom, but she was nowhere to be seen. Another boom sounded, startling Fern. She darted down the steps of their island to see a giant tornado of fire swirling on the horizon. She could barely make out someone standing at the heart of it.

"MOLLY!"

Fern dashed out towards the blaze, her feet burning against the ground. The air became thicker and hotter the closer she got. Her pajamas snapped and billowed around her as she tried to keep her footing against the blistering air whipping at her body. She could faintly hear Molly screaming.

"Molly!" The fiery whirl nearly drowned out her voice with its violent gales.

Soon, she was at the foot of that towering inferno. She had never been more afraid in her life, but she steeled herself. Molly's life was in danger. It was the only thing that mattered.

She leapt into the fire.

In the eye of the raging firestorm stood Molly MacDonald, untouched.

"M-Molly?"

The towering blaze that surrounded them vanished, as the Sphere returned to white and its temperature normalized instantly.

"W-what-"

"You should be asleep," Molly said without turning to face her.

"I heard you screaming-I thought you were in trouble, I-"

"Hm. That's a pretty ballsy thing to do for somebody."

"I thought...I thought the Sphere was attacking you, but...all of that...came from you."

"And the world's greatest detective solves another mystery."

"I...About earlier, that was terrible of me. It's none of my business and-"

"No. It isn't."

"I just...wanted to understand you better. We've been in this place for five months and I barely know anything about you...In the end, though, it wasn't fair. I'm sorry..."

Molly sighed.

"...You risked your life to save me. Why?"

"Besides George," Fern sighed with an abashed shrug, "you're the closest thing I have to a friend."

Molly snorted, incredulous.

"Jeez, Walters. You're hopeless. And...you remind me of my brother," she smirked, turning to face her.

"I...do?"

"Come on," Molly exhaled, heading towards home. "You look hungry."

At a loss for words, Fern followed in silence.


	15. Chapter 15: The Soft and the Pliable

Chapter Fifteen: The Soft and the Pliable

Day one hundred fifty-five.

Three days had passed, and although their relationship had improved, Fern found herself heartbroken. She was hurt-not because of something Molly had said or done to her, but because the incident just a few days ago had shown her something.

_To live every day in so much pain_, Fern had kept musing.

They were stretching now before the day's warm-up, in their usual spot a decent distance away from their temporary home.

"What is it?" Molly demanded.

"What?" Fern blurted, wrenched from her thoughts.

"Something's been bothering you and it's been making you sloppy."

"I…"

Fern stopped stretching, turning to Molly, who seemed to grasp the importance of whatever it was Fern wanted to say. She stopped stretching as well.

"Molly...I don't know how else to say this."

"Then just say it."

"What happened the other day…"

"I'm past it," Molly interrupted.

"...No," Fern challenged. "You're not."

Suddenly, here was the girl Molly met at the Preliminaries.

"What?" Molly asked, indignation clear in her voice.

"What you're dealing with-what you're hiding…"

"I'm not hiding anything," Molly deflected.

"Stop it," Fern snapped. She was on the brink of tears. "Just stop it."

Molly found herself unable to make any response.

"It's not healthy, what you're struggling with day by day. Where will it end if you never confront it?"

"Fern, I-"

"It'll kill you, Molly. Your rage will be the end of you...And you're too good to let that happen!"

Fern couldn't fight back her tears anymore.

"You wanna know why I do tai chi?"

"Fern-"

"Because I'm angry too. I'm angry that my best friend decided I wasn't good enough anymore. I'm angry that, again and again, the boy I love never has the courage to confess how he feels. I'm angry that I never get to see my dad. Angry that my mom is always trying to get me to be someone else."

Fern didn't realize-or perhaps she didn't care that the sphere had darkened to a rippling indigo-that she was now shimmering in the heart of her own aura, a cyan surge that pulsed warm gusts of wind throughout the sphere, parting Molly's bangs to reveal wide, wet eyes.

"I was angry because I felt alone. Well guess what?"

Molly only trembled in silence, in awe, and in shame.

"I'm not alone anymore," Fern declared as her aura faded out and the sphere returned to neutral. "And neither are you."

"Oh, Fern," Molly muttered as they embraced, any barriers that existed between their hearts crumbling absolutely.

* * *

"You've dealt with your anger with the force of your will," Fern began. "You've forced it down, deeper into yourself, where it's only been allowed to fester and grow. Tai chi isn't about meeting force with force. It's about meeting strength with softness."

"Softness?" Molly echoed, incredulous.

"The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and the strong. That's the guiding philosophy of tai chi: to let the aggressor exhaust itself, or to redirect brute force, meeting yin with yang."

"How?"

"Through forms," Fern explained as she started to flow her body and her hands through the air, slowly, like a dance.

"Tch," Molly blushed.

"It's actually kind of fun," Fern smiled. "Just do what I do."

"So lucky no one's around to see this," Molly mumbled as she mimicked Fern, clumsily at first.

"Not bad," Fern encouraged. "Just like this…"


	16. Chapter 16: Mighty Mountain vs Lakewood

Chapter Sixteen: Mighty Mountain vs Lakewood Elementary

With the tournament on the horizon, Marina Datillo's greatest battle was with her own excitement. The chance to prove herself. The chance to test herself, to better herself. Rise or fall, the whole town would be there to see it. Prunella would be there to see it.

_A walk to the park should calm me down_, she thought. She hoped...

Upon her approach, she could heard a familiar sound: someone was practicing soccer. As she neared, she recognized those particular footfalls-their weight upon the ground, their speed and their deftness: their yearning to be heard. They could only belong to Jenna Morgan.

Jenna was practicing balancing the soccer ball on each foot, bouncing it off of them and rapidly switching feet. When she noticed Marina watching nearby, she let it fall to the ground, staying it beneath her foot.

"O-oh," she stammered. "Hey!"

"Hello," Marina smiled.

"Marina, right?"

"That's right," she nodded. "Marina Datillo. And you're Jenna Morgan."

"Y-yeah," Jenna replied, surprised a blind girl she hardly knew had identified her so easily.

"I hear you're the best soccer player at Lakewood."

"It's really a toss-up between me and Francine," Jenna blushed.

"That rude girl who tripped herself at the Preliminaries?"

"Yeah," Jenna laughed nervously. But when Marina laughed too, she felt better.

"Would you like a partner to practice with?" Marina asked.

"Sure!" Jenna blurted, immediately glad to know Marina couldn't see her blush. "I mean I would, b-but my ball doesn't beep-"

"That's alright," Marina promised, folding her cane before tossing it into the grass.

"A-are you sure? Your nice clothes might get dirty-"

"-You're worried about my clothes?" Marina chuckled, throwing her sweater down beside her cane before rolling up her sleeves. She knew why Jenna was so hesitant.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay," she smiled. "But I should warn you: you may be the best at your school, but I'm the best at mine."

The playful challenge reassured Jenna, the confidence in her voice steeling her somehow.

"Let's see if you can get the ball past me," Marina smirked as she took position at the other end of the grassy field.

"Well, alright," Jenna smiled, juggling the ball on her feet. "You asked for it..."

Jenna served the ball up into the air, cocking her whole body to one side before ramming her forefoot into the ball as it came back down, blasting it across the field in a high arc with a loud pop that echoed through the air. She winced when she realized just how hard she'd hit it.

_Nice going, Jenna_, she thought. _Way to overdo it_-

Just as it flew over Marina's head-before it could hit the ground, she spun around as she leapt into the air, stretching out her left leg just ahead of the ball to wham it with the back of her heel towards Jenna, who was running out of time to snap out of her awe.

Jenna bent her leg as far back as she could to hammer her foot into the ball just before it landed.

Because of the lower arc, Marina bumped the ball upwards with her right foot, then higher again with her knee, thwacking the ball at peak height with her left foot.

"Oof!" sounded Jenna as the ball walloped her chest, knocking her to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Marina stressed, running up to her.

"I'm fine," Jenna grunted as she got up. "But something tells me you're not here to play soccer," she smirked, dusting herself off.

Marina shrugged with a coy smile.

"Is that allowed? To be honest, I didn't really read the contract."

"Me neither," Marina chuckled. "But it'll just be a sparring match. And no one has to know."

The surprise on Jenna's face melted away as she couldn't help but grin wide. "I like the cut of your jib, Datillo," she accepted.

"You _what_?" Marina laughed.

"Sorry. I get really into it when it comes to fighting." She entered her tiger stance, bending her arms up and raising her forward heel off the ground.

"Me too," Marina grinned, raising one leg in crane stance as she held out her arms towards Jenna.

A kiss of wind blew, sending waves across the sea of green that surrounded them.

_Her form is flawless-she's perfectly still_, Jenna thought. _I can't afford to underestimate her again_.

Just as Jenna had finished her thought, Marina struck like lightning with a high kick aimed at her head. Jenna blocked it just in time with her forearm when Marina tried again with her other leg. Jenna caught her leg in a lock, sweeping her off her the other and landing her in the grass.

Marina swung her legs around to sweep herself off of her back in one fluid motion.

"Not bad," she breathed, resuming her stance. "Guess I got too impatient..."

"You're no slouch, yourself. You're faster than I thought."

"Cranes have the speed of lightning. They're also supposed to have the patience of a saint..."

Jenna laughed. "Seems you've some work to do in that department-"

Marina grabbed Jenna's arm before kicking her off one leg and spinning to deliver just the threat of a kick to her jaw once she was on the ground.

_Maybe not_, Jenna thought, massaging her jaw.

"You okay?" Marina asked.

"It's gonna take more than that to beat me," Jenna assured as she got up.

"_Beat_ you? I thought we were just sparring."

"Heh." Jenna spat to the side before resuming her fighting stance. "Right."

They were just about to trade blows when a voice startled them both, causing them both to slip on the grass and fall over.

"Alright, I think that's enough!" It was Prunella.

"Aw, Prunella," Marina groaned. "We just got past the warm-up..."

"Save it for the tournament. You're not even supposed to be fighting! Didn't you read the contract?"

Jenna and Marina stood with shoulders slumped, bashful.

"We were just sparring," they mumbled in unison.

"How am _I_ being the responsible one?" Prunella groused as she threw up her arms. "Come on, Mari. We should be there when our, um, _guests_ get back.."

"Sorry," Marina sighed.

"That's alright. Maybe we'll get matched up in the tournament. Then we can settle the score."

Marina smiled. "I like the cut of your jib, Morgan."

They laughed as Prunella stood clueless.


	17. Chapter 17: Fighters Emerge!

Chapter Seventeen: Fighters Emerge!

Prunella and Marina waited anxiously around the crystal ball, unsure of what a year would behold for Fern and Molly.

A soft whirl of wind emanated from around the scrying table, swaying Prunella's drapery as the orb gleamed softly. The light intensified such that Prunella shielded her eyes. When she opened them again, she could scarcely recognize the figures before her.

Both Fern and Molly were taller now. Both of their outfits were tattered and torn, dotted with what looked like singe marks. Fern appeared to have adopted Molly's habit of tearing off her sleeves, revealing subtle muscle definition that hadn't existed before. Molly's hair was much longer now, hanging down to her back in a makeshift ponytail.

Marina could feel how much their lifeforce had strengthened. The new stillness of their energy-despite how much it had blossomed, left her in awe. She could only smile.

"You two're practically humming with power!" Prunella laughed. "Nice going, Mari. Looks like you just bought yourself some stiff competition..."

"Welcome back," Marina greeted, her voice nearly breaking.

"So? How was it?" Prunella pleaded.

Molly and Fern looked at each other for a moment before smirking.

"Worth it," Molly assured.

"Thank you," Fern said.

"Hey, it was Marina's idea. I just did the hocus pocus."

They turned to Marina, who blushed. "I'm just glad it worked," she laughed.

Fern walked up to her, placing her hand on Marina's shoulder. "I've wanted to thank you, Marina. For encouraging me."

"You don't have to thank me," she promised, returning the gesture. "But you're very welcome."

Fern smiled.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to say that," she exhaled.

"Mm, about a day, I'd wager," Marina laughed before Fern and Prunella joined her.

"Now," Prunella started, picking up the end of Molly's ponytail, "If we're gonna keep this secret of ours, I think someone needs a haircut before we can reveal you guys to the world again."

Molly grumbled as she followed Prunella downstairs.


	18. Chapter 18: Armstrong on the Case!

Chapter Eighteen: What's Going On? Armstrong on the Case!

With Wednesday behind the competitors, it was back to school. The tournament loomed only three days away now, and the entire town seemed to be holding its collective breath in wait.

At Lakewood Elementary, students were lazily filing into the school doors to start the day. Sue Ellen stopped dead in her tracks as she neared the school steps; she sensed something she'd never felt before.

Or had she?

George Lundgren and Fern Walters were strolling up towards the school, George talking her ear off. When they passed Sue Ellen, time seemed to freeze.

_It's...Fern_! Sue Ellen awed. _But...how? Her posture, her ki, it's..._

"How is that possible?" Sue Ellen muttered to herself.

"Push-ups, sit-ups, and plenty of juice," Muffy Crosswire interrupted, posing heroically as she flexed her dainty muscles in front of Sue Ellen. "Like what you see? As a fellow martial artist, I knew _you'd _appreciate the results of the Crosswire Training Regimen."

Sue Ellen blinked as she watched Fern pass through the school doors.

"Come on, you can admire my beauty later. We're gonna be late for class!" Muffy realized, yanking Sue Ellen along by the arm.

* * *

It just didn't make sense.

Sue Ellen spent the entire morning mulling over that fact. It must have been some kind of mistake. Maybe it had been someone else she had sensed. Maybe it had been no one at all.

But what if it wasn't a mistake? What if Fern Walters really had changed?

_That's insane_, she mused, chastising herself. _Over night? Impossible._

But was it?

It was during lunch that she resolved to stick to her plan. She took the opportunity to visit the principal's office. When she walked in, Secretary Tingley was seated at her desk, filing her long nails.

"Ah, Miss Armstrong! You're looking fit. How are you today? Ready for the tournament, I hope?"

"That's what I wanted to speak to Mr. Haney about."

"Oh? I hope you're not having second thoughts..."

"No, it's not about me, but one of the other competitors. May I speak to Mr. Haney?"

"I'm afraid he's indisposed at the moment, dear. But why don't you tell me and I'll pass it along?"

"Oh. Alright...It's about Fern."

"Walters?"

"That's right. I...I think she should be barred from the tournament."

Tingley's eyebrows furrowed quizzically, though she didn't stop working on her nails.

"And why is that, Miss Armstrong?"

"She's...she's not a martial artist. She entered for the wrong reasons and...and I don't want to see her get hurt."

"As I recall, Miss Walters qualified for the tournament, same as you and the others."

"That was a fluke, ma'am! You saw what happened! She's not a fighter, and she has no place in a competition like this."

Tingley stopped filing her nails before sighing.

"Did something happen between you two?"

"No, that's—I'm just worried."

"Well, as noble as that may seem, Miss Armstrong, Miss Walters is a qualified competitor. She chose to enter and that's all there is to it. I'm afraid you can't recommend your fellow contenders for disqualification for something like this."

"But she'll get slaughtered out there!"

"Now, now," Tingley soothed, leaning back to start on her nails again. "Don't be so dramatic."

"I—Never mind," Sue Ellen growled, exiting the room. There was a nausea in her gut now.

_I need to calm down_, she assessed. _But what if I'm not wrong? _

She made her way towards class as the bell signaled lunch was over.

_For Fern's sake, I hope I am..._


	19. Chapter 19: Meet to Compete!

Chapter Nineteen: Meet to Compete!

High above Elwood, three streaks of light soared against the sunny blue sky.

Molly led the V formation, Fern and Marina at her sides. Prunella studied each of their faces as she held onto Marina: Each one so much more mature, more determined. All the uncertainty from just a few days ago was gone without a trace, replaced only with a palpable confidence.

_Crazy times_, she wondered to herself with a smile.

"You gals sure you're ready for this?" she teased aloud, her voice raised as they hissed through the air.

Molly didn't bother responding, her eyes forward like a soldier on the march.

"It's been a long time coming," Marina said, "But we've all prepared."

Molly noted Fern's silence, looking back at her. She was lost in thought again, her eyebrows furrowed.

"So what was it you wanted to tell us about the tournament?" Prunella finally asked Fern.

"It can wait until we reach the others," Molly stated, trying to take the load off of Fern for at least a few moments. "Everyone needs to hear it."

Eventually, Marina couldn't help but ask, "Should we be worried?"

Fern and Molly's silence was all the answer she needed.

"...That sounds like a lot of people," Marina suddenly exhaled in awe.

"...I don't hear anything," Fern admitted, scanning the land below for whatever it was she was talking about.

"Just wait for it," Prunella sighed, a knowing smirk on her face.

It wasn't long before the muted sound of music booming in the distance filled their ears, growing clearer and louder as Crosswire Stadium loomed on the horizon, with what looked like a sizeable blimp floating over it.

Their auras snapped off with three loud pops as they halted over their destination, looking down on the massive, clamorous throng of attendees that were massed outside the entrance, filing into the stadium. In the parking lot, vendors were hawking food and merchandise—T-shirts with their faces on them: Binky, Marina, Sue Ellen, etc. News crews from various networks could be seen covering the commotion, their vans forced to park side by side. There simply wasn't enough space.

"Woah," Molly heard Fern say under her breath.

"Did...Did all these people come just to see us?" Marina wondered.

"The entire city must be here," Prunella laughed.

"No kidding," Marina said, soaking it all in.

The stadium was a horseshoe design, colossal in size. In its center was the ring, or lei tai: a raised platform without any railing. It was made of stone tiles forming a wide square that spanned the heart of the field. Above hung a branded Crosswire Motors blimp with gigantic jumbotron screens across both sides, their feeds linked to cameras below. For now, though, they were running an incessant ad for Ed Crosswire's used car dealership.

"C'mon," Molly rallied, descending into the crowd.

"Uh," Fern stammered, "d-don't you think we should touch down somewhere more…"

It was too late. They'd already gained attention as people gawked up at them. To Molly's credit, the crowd parted itself as she made her way into the stadium.

"Beats pushing and shoving," Prunella chimed as they followed in her wake.

"Look!" an onlooker gaped. "That's the blind one!"

"Blind," Marina agreed as they walked past him. "Not deaf."

"S-Sorry," he blushed.

"That's alright," Marina smiled, as she always did.

"GO DATILLO!" he screamed after them, inciting a cascade of cheers.

Fern just tried to keep her head down, but not even she could stave off a smile.

Inside, they met the others in the stadium tunnel that led out into the field.

Jenna Morgan was stretching her limbs, decked in a black tank top and matching Crosswire-branded trunks with fiery highlights. She wore black and orange ankle supports on her feet, black fist guards on her hands, and pink and yellow bands of rope around her biceps.

As he acted as Rattles's spotter, Binky was equipped in much the same style as he had been during the preliminaries, with the addition of a black BINKY-branded tank top. Of course, he was not actually sponsored by the Finnish musical group, but felt it got the point across all the same: there could be no mistaking who he was.

Rattles had forgone any formal combat attire; with the exception of some new fingerless gloves, he was dressed the same as always as he did his push-ups-the same red baseball cap, the same tattered jeans, blue Chuck Taylors, white tank top, and the same black leather jacket, only he'd torn the sleeves off to showcase his hard work.

Sue Ellen dressed traditionally as she always did for such occasions, in her white taekwondo dobok. Her V-neck jacket had its sleeves rolled up around her shoulders, with dark cyan highlights along the collar and hem. The same went for the ends of her loose pants which didn't quite conceal the protective padding she wore on her otherwise bare feet. Her fists were equally protected.

As she sat meditating, Sue Ellen sensed that same confounding energy: she didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was.

She had actually come. Fern was actually going to fight.

_Unreal_, she marveled.

"Look who showed up," Rattles grunted as he got up, patting the dust off his gloves.

"I liked that jacket," was all Molly offered, leaving him in absolute shambles as she walked right on by towards Binky.

"It's good to see you, Molly," Binky smiled.

"It's good to see you, too, Bink," she smiled back.

"Check you out!" Jenna exploded, rushing up to Marina, clasping her shoulders before abruptly pulling away. "Er, sorry…"

"That's alright," Marina giggled. "I'm glad to see you, too!" She held up her hand for an arm-wrestle handshake. Jenna wasted no time accepting the gesture. Prunella rolled her eyes.

"Alright," she interrupted. "I'm gonna go find a seat before I gag on all this schmaltz."

"Hold it," Molly ordered. "Fern has something to say."

All eyes fell on Fern. She swallowed before opening her mouth.

"Uh, hi, everybody," she started. She realized they expected her to continue after no one made any reply. After clearing her throat, she started again. "I received a warning about the tournament a few, uh, days ago."

"What kind of warning?" Jenna asked.

"From who?" Rattles teased. "Your mommy?"

It only took a cold stare from Molly to put him in his place.

"Please," Fern begged, "Just listen. I think there might be something...dangerous about this tournament."

"It's a martial arts tournament, Fern," Sue Ellen sighed.

"Let her speak," Marina said.

"Look," Fern continued, her voice hardened. "It could be nothing. But on the chance that there is something off about all this, we need to be careful. I only thought it fair to warn everyone—just in case. We should all be on the lookout for anything suspicious, anything weird—"

"Like you?" Rattles laughed.

"That's enough," Molly commanded.

"Aw, c'mon, MacDonald," he groaned. "You telling me you believe this loser third grader?"

"I don't just believe her," she said, closing in on him. "I trust her. With my life. And if you insult her again," she dared, face to face with him now, "I promise you'll spend this entire tournament in the infirmary."

Rattles didn't blink, didn't breathe, didn't move a muscle.

"Good enough for me," Binky chimed, breaking the tension.

"Me too," Jenna agreed.

Sue Ellen offered Fern a nod.

"It's settled, then," Marina concluded. "If anybody sees anything, we let each other know."

"Got it?" Molly threatened. Rattles hadn't dared budge.

"Got it," Rattles returned, his throat dry. He gasped for air the moment Molly turned to walk away.

"Mari," Prunella whispered, walking up to Marina. "Be careful, okay?"

"Promise," she smiled as they embraced.

"Break a leg, everybody!" she called before heading out. "Er, you know what I mean."

"Prunella," Fern called out, halting her. "Thank you."

Prunella only offered a wink and a grin before hurrying off.

Sue Ellen eyed the whole exchange with suspicion before returning to her meditation.


	20. Chapter 20: Tournament Start!

Chapter Twenty: Tournament Start!

2 Unlimited's _Get Ready for This_ blared into the clear blue sky above Crosswire Stadium. The venue was packed to the brim—the air electric with excitement and activity.

Muffy managed to pull some strings in order to give her friends Buster, Francine, Arthur, and the Brain front row seats. Naturally, Arthur had to bring D.W. with him, but he was the only one who seemed to mind.

"Not bad," D.W. admitted, taking it all in.

"It is quite impressive," Brain admitted, stroking his chin as he admired the blimp overhead.

"Yeah, yeah," Francine mumbled, arms folded as she slouched in her seat.

"You're not still mad about losing to Fern, are you?" Buster taunted.

"Alright, alright!" Arthur intervened. "Let's just be glad one of us got in."

"Arthur, look!" D.W. gasped. "We're on that TV thingy! Smile!"

One of the camera operators was pointed at the kids, focusing on D.W, as she was the most enthusiastic. Arthur hid his face as she stood on her seat and broke out into poses before dancing to the music. The crowd ate it up.

The camera operator turned to the entrance of the field as the music faded.

"You can stop now," Arthur complained to a dancing D.W.

A new industrial techno track droned as a tall, dapper man in sunglasses emerged from the entrance, holding a microphone. He walked up to the center of the ring as he was swathed in the cheers of the audience. He grinned as he raised his microphone towards one side of the stadium, then the other, hyping up the audience as he couldn't help but chuckle. After warming up the audience, he raised the microphone to his mouth.

"ELWOOD CITY!"

The stadium roared in a collective, "WOOO!"

"ARE YOU READY?"

"YEEEEAAAAAAHHH," they blared in unison.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! IT'S ALL LED UP TO THIS MOMENT!"

Having finally found his seat, Slink joined in the audience's rapture, hollering as loud as he could. He happened to be sitting behind Prunella, who seemed more anxious than excited.

"WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

The announcer laughed again as the audience boomed in euphoria.

"—TO THE FIRST! ANNUAL! ELWOOD CITY JUNIOR MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT EXTRAVATACULAR!"

"WOO," Buster whooped, clapping in excitement.

"ELWOOD'S FINEST YOUNG FIGHTERS HAVE ASSEMBLED TO TEST THEIR METTLE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER TO LEARN WHO AMONG THEM IS TRULY...NUMBER! ONE! UNDER! THE! HEAVENNNNS!"

Inside the tunnel, the competitors were waiting to be announced.

"Who'da thought the whole town would want to see a bunch of kids fight?" Binky wondered aloud.

"Don't let it throw you off," Molly said coolly. "Remember what Fern said. Be on the lookout for anything suspicious."

"Right," Jenna said.

"Got it," Rattles repeated.

"Understood," Marina confirmed, tying on her blindfold.

Molly lowered her head, speaking softly to Fern as they both looked on outside.

"Nervous?"

"M-maybe a little."

She placed her hand on Fern's shoulder.

"You're here because you've earned it. Remember that."

Fern's shoulders relaxed beneath her friend's touch. She took a deep breath and held her head high. Molly smirked.

"Ready?"

Fern nodded.

No matter what happened from here on out, Molly was proud.

"ELWOOD," the announcer's voice boomed from outside. "WOULD YOU KINDLY, GRACIOUSLY, UPROARIOUSLY, FASTIDIOUSLY, SUPERLATIVELY GREET OUR CONTESTANTS?!"

"This is us," Molly rallied. "Let's go."

The music swelled as the kids emerged from a cloud of smoke that had enveloped the entrance. A barrage of flash photography pelted them as the sheer force of the audience's thunderous applause nearly pancaked them.

"WOO," Buster bellowed. "GO FERN!"

Francine refused to show any enthusiasm at all.

The competitors lined up along the edge of the ring as the announcer paced about, conducting the audience's cheers. All eyes were on the kids as the cameras were pointed at them, casting their image up to the blimp overhead.

"Haha—welcome, fighters," the announcer enthused. "Welcome indeed! Are you ready to fight it ou—"

"Just get on with it," Molly groaned.

"Er, quite right," the announcer said, adjusting his tie before clearing his throat and turning back towards the audience.

"UP FIRST, WE'VE GOT THE MUAY THAI PRODIGY: JENNA MORGAN!"

Jenna blushed as the crowd welcomed her.

Above, Jenna's height, weight, age, and fighting style were overlaid on footage of her performance during the Preliminaries.

"UP NEXT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—THE RISING STAR: SUE ELLEN ARMSTRONG! TAEKWONDO MASTER!"

Sue Ellen bowed. Her reception was even louder than Jenna's.

"DON'T COUNT OUT THE SIGHTLESS SEER HERSELF—THE WHITE CRANE OF MIGHTY MOUNTAIN: MARINA DATILLO!"

Marina's reception intensified with a raise of her fist and a great big smile.

"THIS BAD BOY STREET FIGHTER ONLY GOES BY ONE NAME—MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF HIM? GIVE IT UP FOR...RATTLES!"

Rattles adjusted his cap with a smirk as the applause washed over him.

"YES, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN," the announcer laughed as the crowd began chanting Binky's name. "YOU GOT THAT RIGHT! WE'VE GOT NONE OTHER THAN THE ONE...THE ONLY...BINKY "THE BRUISERRRRRRR..." BARNES!"

Binky conducted the chanting of his name as he rhythmically pumped his two index fingers up into the air.

"UP NEXT, THE MYSTERIOUS KARATEKA HERSELF—WATCH YOURSELF! IT'S MOLLY MACDONALD!"

Molly was unflinching as she stood with arms crossed.

The audience seemed to quell as the announcer arrived at Fern and her information appeared onscreen. The crowd erupted into laughter as footage of Francine tripping herself out of the ring against Fern played. Francine's eyes had glazed over as a camera operator zoomed in on her immediately afterwards.

George Lundgren couldn't help but grin as he claimed his seat.

"Young lady," the announcer beamed, "what martial art will you be demonstrating today?"

He held his microphone up to Fern, who took a deep breath.

"I am a karateka, like my master before me," Fern smiled, looking over at Molly, who shook her head, unable to stave off a smirk.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! NOT ONE, BUT TWO KARATE FIGHTERS—MASTER AND PUPIL, NO LESS! GIVE IT UP FOR FERN WALTERS!"

It was then that the competitors realized someone was missing. But as they looked around, the sound of helicopter rotors grew louder and louder.

"BUT WAIT JUST A MINUTE," the announcer dramatized, "DO YOU HEAR THAT?" He pantomimed his hand up to his ear. "COULD THIS BE THE LAST FIGHTER?"

The music changed.

"_Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want_"

"_So tell me what you want, what you really, really want_"

Hovering over the ring, the side-door of a pink helicopter swung open as _Wannabe_ from the Spice Girls filled the air.

One of the camera operators zoomed in, focusing to reveal Muffy Crosswire, arrayed from head to toe in a crop-topped white sailor fuku with lavender accents, her bowed ponytail and pleated skirt billowing in the wind.

She grinned before leaping out as the audience gasped. She landed gracefully, snapping into a glamorous pose as fighter jets soared overhead, releasing rainbow-colored fireworks that spelled "MUFFY" across the sky.

"Jeez Louise," Molly sighed.

Binky seemed to be the only one among them who appreciated the spectacular entrance. He cheered along heartily as the crowd welcomed her.

Muffy walked up to the announcer, gesturing for his microphone as the music faded. He laughed nervously before granting it to her.

"That's right, Mr. Announcer Sir. It's me, Mary Alice Crosswire—but you can all just call me Muffy. That's what my friends call me," she winked at the camera. "I'm here to demonstrate the cutting edge, never-before-seen Crosswire Style martial art! Of course, I'm also here to class up the event," she chuckled, tossing her ponytail behind her.

The competitors gave insincere laughs with bored faces.

"Before we begin, I will now sing the national anthem."

The announcer bowed his head, taking a solemn stance beside her.

What ensued was an excruciating a capella, disgraced with unnecessary melodic flourishes and prolonged notes that would have utterly mortified anyone with a sliver of self-awareness. But Muffy was a Crosswire. She was all pride.

When it was over, Muffy returned the microphone before standing beside Fern at the end of the lineup. She found it odd she did not receive any compliments along the way.

"Now then," the announcer said before clearing his throat as the kinetic techno returned over the speakers. "YOU'VE MET THE COMPETITORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! NOW LET'S RUN DOWN THE RULES!

"TWO FIGHTERS WILL COMPETE UPON THE LEI TAI ON WHICH I STAND. THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT. THE FIGHTER WHO IS KNOCKED OUT, SURRENDERS, OR TOUCHES THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE RING...IS THE LOSER. THE WINNER ADVANCES TO THE NEXT TIER UNTIL ONLY ONE REMAINS TO CLAIM THE GRAND PRIZE OF ONE _THOUSAND_ DOLLARS!"

The crowd went wild.

"THE RESTRICTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE USE OF ANY WEAPON IS PROHIBITED—1THIS IS AN UNARMED MARTIAL ARTS COMPETITION. SECONDLY, FATALITIES ARE GROUNDS FOR IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION, THOUGH I'M SURE THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING!"

The audience laughed, though perhaps with a vague tinge of unease.

"NOW WHAT SAY WE DETERMINE THE MATCHES?"

As the spectators cheered, he produced a handheld buzzer, not unlike those seen on game shows, as blank tournament brackets appeared on the blimp screens.

"WITH THE PRESS OF THIS BUTTON, THE FIRST FOUR MATCHES WILL BE REVEALED BY RANDOM! ARE YOU READY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN?"

"YES," the crowd bellowed together.

"ARE YOU SURE?"

"YESSS!"

"HEEEEEERE," he started, raising his trigger into the air. "WEEEEEEE...GO!"

With the press of his thumb against the button, the crowd fell silent as the names of the competitors began to flicker across the brackets, spinning like reels on a slot machine.

Out in the audience, Prunella muttered an incantation of some kind under her breath as she concentrated on the brackets.

Round one would be Muffy versus Fern.

"Starting the show with a show-stopper," Muffy boasted. Out in the audience, Francine grinned.

Round two would see Sue Ellen against Binky.

Binky let out a devious laugh as he eyed Sue Ellen, who shook her head with a smile.

Round three had Jenna up against Marina.

_Alright_, Jenna enthused. Marina bowed her head towards Prunella in the audience, who muttered, "I know. I'm awesome," as she leaned back with arms folded.

Round four was Rattles versus Molly.

In an attempt to appear as cool and confident as possible, Rattles gave off a smirk as he cracked his knuckles. She grinned back before turning away, causing his heart to flutter.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," the announcer bellowed. "THE STAGE OF DESTINY IS SET! THE CITY'S GREATEST YOUNG FIGHTERS ARE ASSEMBLED! IT'S FINALLY TIME! LET THE TOURNAMENT...BEGIN!"


	21. Chapter 21: Fern vs Muffy!

Chapter Twenty-One: Fern vs Muffy! Crosswire Style Revealed!

The competitors were assembled around the entrance to the field as they waited for the match to begin. Molly helped Fern finish applying athletic tape to her hands and forearms as Bailey arrived to present a fancy wooden case to Muffy, the name 'Crosswire' etched gracefully into the lid. The other fighters watched with interest as he unclicked the metal clasps along the front to reveal two pink fist guards.

"Is that really all the protection you're going to wear?" Muffy asked Fern and Molly as she fitted her guards on.

"Any more would just slow us down," Fern explained, flexing her wrapped fist. "Normally, we wouldn't use any tape, but as we plan on fighting multiple matches, we need at least some defense for our hands and feet."

"Hmph," Muffy scoffed. "Well, a word to the wise? These are more for you than myself."

"That right?" Molly droned, utterly disinterested.

"But of course! Crosswire Style is characterized by powerful, explosive blows—if I didn't wear any protection, any attack would practically blast you into outer space!"

Molly chuckled as she wrapped up Fern's feet.

"How thoughtful," she smirked, giving Fern a tap to let her know she was good to go.

"Thank you, Bailey," Muffy sighed, turning to him. "That will be all."

He bowed before leaving them.

"Wish _I_ had a butler," Jenna thought aloud.

"Who knows?" Muffy started, stretching her legs, "If you manage to get by me, perhaps you could afford one with the prize money."

"—WOULD YOU PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING: MUFFYYYYYYYY...CROSSWIRE!"

"That's my cue," said Muffy as she sauntered out through the entrance, prompting a huge cheer from the audience.

"Miss Walters?"

Everyone reared their heads to see that Bailey had returned-or rather, that he'd never left.

"Might I speak with you privately?"

Fern looked at Molly before following Bailey some distance away from the rest of the competitors.

"May I ask what this is about, sir?"

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"The Crosswire Estate is prepared to offer a sizeable sum in exchange for the ensured victory of the young Mary Alice."

"W-what?"

"You would be walking away with twice the amount of the prize money if you were to accept."

"Does Muffy know about this?"

"She most certainly does not."

"W-well I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that. This is a tournament, and I'm here to do my best. I know that Muffy is, too."

"Hm," the old man smiled. "Very well."

But as Fern hurried to return, Bailey called out.

"Miss Walters?"

She stopped, turning her head.

"Do give the young mistress a...humbling experience," he winked.

Fern smiled before running ahead.

When she rejoined the rest of the fighters, Molly seemed anxious.

"What was that about?" she whispered.

"It's nothing. Don't worry."

"THANK YOU FOR THAT ROUSING SPEECH, MISS CROSSWIRE...NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! PLEASE WELCOME THE NO-HIT CONTENDER HERSELF: FERRRRRRRRRRRRN...WALTERS!"

"Remember your training," Molly reassured. "And don't underestimate her. Now," she smiled. "Go on."

Fern stepped through the threshold out into the field as the audience gave her a resounding welcome. Upon her approach to the ring, her heart pounded ever stronger as she breathed deep. The air felt like it was vibrating with the pure energy of the crowd as she stepped up onto the lei tai, stopping directly across from Muffy. The announcer was standing just outside the ring.

She bowed as Muffy let out an amused huff.

"READYYYY," he revved, his free hand raised up into the air. "FIGHT," he shouted, chopping down.

_Alright, Fern_, George mused to himself as he watched her from his corner of the stadium. _Let's see if a year in another dimension paid off..._

Fern spread out her footing, leaning forward into a low stance as Muffy began to encircle her with a low stance of her own. As Muffy stepped around her, she forced Fern to keep adjusting her stance to face her.

"Baguazhang," Sue Ellen noted as the rest of the competitors watched from the threshold.

"Huh?" Binky bleated, lost.

"She means Muffy," Molly clarified. "It's a Chinese style."

"That circular stepping pattern," Sue Ellen continued, "builds up centripetal force. That way, she can move around Fern more quickly."

Out in the audience, Buster was just as confused as Binky.

"What's Muffy doing?" he wondered aloud.

"It would appear to be Newton's first law of motion," Brain surmised. "A body in motion tends to stay in motion. It's an intriguing strategy: because she's so proactive, she can flow into a maneuver in less time than it would take to do so from a static position."

"Ohhhh," Buster exhaled, even more lost than he was before.

"He's saying Muffy can attack faster as long as she keeps moving," Arthur explained.

"Ohhhh," Buster exhaled. "But won't she get tired moving around like that so much?"

"She knows what she's doing," Francine snapped.

In an instant, Muffy rolled past Fern to strike at the base of her back with her elbow. But Fern flipped backwards over Muffy just in time, facing her again.

"WHAT AN EVASION," the announcer commented as the crowd gasped in awe.

"Not bad, Fern," Muffy admitted, rising from her kneeling position. "You've got good defense and speed. But a fighter like you is bound to make a mistake eventually."

"And you can't keep up this circle walking forever. It expends too much energy."

"You talk too much," Muffy groused, diving in to thrash with knife-hands.

Fern blocked, slapped, and swatted Muffy's strikes before Muffy backed off again, trying to read her opponent.

"WHAT SPEED!"

Muffy was losing her patience. She feinted, prompting Fern to brace for a false attack before Muffy swung herself around to deliver a back-handed blow with her padded knuckles. Fern was knocked off of her feet as the crowd roared.

"AN EXPLOSIVE BACKHAND! COULD THIS BE THE END OF THE PUGILIST POET?"

"WOO," Francine cheered.

In one fluid motion, Fern swirled back onto her feet, shaking herself off.

"A glutton for punishment," Muffy sneered.

"I hope you didn't think it would be that easy?"

"You've walked your talk so far, which is more than I expected."

"I'll do more than that."

"By all means," Muffy taunted, beckoning Fern, "show me."

From the corner of her eye, Sue Ellen noted Molly shake her head with a grin.

Fern took a deep breath, resuming a defensive stance.

_I'd better let her tire herself out before I make a move_, Fern decided.

"Well, if you won't make a move, then I will—KAI MEN BAJI QUAN!"

Muffy darted in low to ram her elbow into Fern's abdomen, but was dodged. In an instant, Fern had locked Muffy's shoulder joint behind her, forcing her to the ground before delivering a knockout blow to Muffy's neck. She was out cold before most of the audience knew what happened.

Francine blinked frantically, rubbing her eyes to confirm that Fern Walters had, in fact, rendered Muffy Crosswire unconscious.

"She...made it look easy," Francine muttered to herself.

She was snapped out of her stupor by the shrill whistling of Buster, whose cheering inspired the audience to follow suit.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," the announcer hollered. "K.O! FERN WALTERS ADVANCES!"

The blimp looped slow-motion footage of Fern's reversal and knockout blow as eurodance music popped off, heralding the victory.

Fern bowed before walking off the ring to rejoin the other fighters.

"Well, that was fast!" Jenna remarked.

"Not as fast as it could've been," Molly teased.

"Don't tell me I was the only one curious to see what Crosswire Style was all about. Turns out it was just a hybrid of Bajiquan and Baguazhang," Fern shrugged.

"Glad _somebody_ shut her up," said Rattles.

"No kidding," Binky added. "Nice work, Fern."

"Thanks, Binky. Good luck in your match. You too, Sue Ellen."

Overcoming her shock, Sue Ellen managed to mutter an awkward thanks before the announcer welcomed her to the ring.


	22. Chapter 22: Binky vs Sue Ellen!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Grudge Match! Binky vs Sue Ellen!

"PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING—ELWOOD'S YOUNGEST TAEKWONDO CHAMP: SUUUUUUUUE ELLEN ARMSTRONG!"

The air shook as Sue Ellen stepped out into the field, swathed in the cheers of seemingly all of Elwood's population as an eastern-flavored eurodance pulsed.

She smiled for the photographers as the crowd roared even louder when she raised a fist into the air.

Then the music stopped as the audience quieted. The cameras were now pointed back at the entrance as smoke began to pour out, obscuring it completely.

That's when a familiar rock track screeched on, slick and hoarse and groovy. Of course, the audience went wild as Binky Barnes emerged from the smoke, stopping for a moment to give the cameras a chance to close-in on him as he glared at Sue Ellen.

"BINKY! BINKY! BINKY," the crowd chanted as he pointed his finger at her, mouthing the words, 'you're finished,' before running his meaty thumb across his throat.

Sue Ellen was trying very hard at this point to keep a straight face as Binky approached the ring.

"THAT'S RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HE NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION—IT'S THE BIG, BAD BOSS: BINKY 'THE BRUISERRRRRRRR' BARNES!"

After Binky strode right up to Sue Ellen, they stared each other down, mere centimeters away as the crowd went wild.

"...Binky," Sue Ellen groaned under her breath.

"Not yet," he interrupted as they continued to stare for exactly one more minute.

"THE FEUD IS REAL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE AIR IS SO THICK WITH TENSION, YOU COULD CUT IT WITH A KNIFE!"

"He's almost as bad as Muffy," Jenna complained, swatting away residual smoke back at the entrance.

"Nah," Rattles smirked. "The boss is a showman. Crosswire's just a showoff."

"He's got a point," Marina admitted. "Just listen to that audience."

"YEAH!" Arthur hollered. "GO SUE ELLEN," he cheered, standing from his seat as his friends smirked knowingly.

"Okay," Binky whispered. "That's good."

Binky raised his chin before backing off a few steps.

"READYYYY," the announcer revved, "FIGHT," he barked with a chop of his hand.

Sue Ellen readied herself by bending her knees slightly, with her forward foot's heel off the ground.

"Hey, that's Tiger Stance," Jenna noted. "That's what I use!"

"It's a solid stance," Molly noted. "No weight on the forward foot means she can use it to kick more quickly or counter incoming fist strikes."

"But the boss ain't gonna use his fists," Rattles corrected with a grin.

"Then what's he going to do?" Fern wondered aloud.

"HURRICANRANA," Binky shouted as he charged at Sue Ellen.

The ground shook beneath his mammoth boots as he caught her off-guard. He leapt forward, wrapping his legs around her head as he used his momentum to fling her onto the ground in one motion. The audience was deafening.

"Bink's a grappler," Molly explained.

"A PHENOMENAL HEADSCISSORS TAKEDOWN FROM BINKY BARNES," the announcer raved. "WAS THE EARTH-SHATTERING FORCE ENOUGH TO FELL THE TAEKWONDO TEMPEST?"

Dazed, Sue Ellen blinked as she processed what had just happened. She cracked her neck after getting back up and resuming stance, only this time, her backward foot's heel was raised.

"SHE'S UP! JUST LOOK AT THAT POISE—THAT RESOLVE! THIS IS SURE TO BE A BOUT TO REMEMBER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

"Well, that's one way to warm up," Sue Ellen smirked.

"We're in the fight now," Binky asserted. "This ain't about making it look good for the crowd anymore. I'm here for revenge, and you better believe I'm gonna work for it—so you better gimme everything you've got."

"Don't worry, Binky. I have no intention of throwing this match."

_Not when I have a chance to test Fern's abilities first-hand_, she mused.

"She's not playing around anymore," Molly chuckled. "Check out that stance. She's all offense."

Binky started closing in with a slow, confident stride—his colossal paws held out to grab her.

_That's it, big guy_, Sue Ellen thought. _Just a little closer_...

Once Binky was in range, Sue Ellen bolted her back foot straight up into Binky's chin, jerking his head back.

"WHAT A KICK," the announcer hollered. "BUT...BINKY'S STILL STANDING!"

He took a step back as he recovered, using her hubris as an opportunity to grab her.

"She done," Rattles grinned.

"London Bridge is falling down," Binky taunted, restraining her.

With both his massive arms wrapped around her waist, Binky heaved as he fell backwards, forming a bridge with his legs and back as he slammed Sue Ellen headfirst into the ring.

"DID YOU FEEL THAT? I KNOW I SURE DID—A FLAWLESS SUPLEX FROM THE BIG, BAD BOSS, LADIES AND GENTS!"

Sue Ellen shook it off and, still pinned, broke free of Binky's arms in a golden pulse as she pushed herself outward, springing off of Binky's bridged body.

"H-how the heck did she manage to do that?" Rattles gawked.

"She flared her chi to break free," Marina noted.

"HER WHAT?" he grilled, confused.

"You are such an idiot," Molly sighed, eyeing the fight.

Binky growled as he returned to his feet. Sue Ellen was cool as she resumed her previous stance.

"I've never even been to London," she said.

"How about—AUSTRALIA," Binky shouted as he darted towards her for a lariat.

Binky was moving faster than anyone thought someone his size could. But time slowed for Sue Ellen, her reflexes having been honed for years.

_I'm sorry about this, Binky_, she thought.

As Binky closed in, Sue Ellen rocketed her knee into his chest, then unfolded her leg to kick him into the air. In midair, she spun to kick with her other leg, then again to kick with the other, sending him higher and higher again.

Only one fighter landed on her feet. Binky Barnes was unconscious.

"K.O! SUE ELLEN ADVANCES TO THE SEMIFINALS!"

Amidst the crowd's praise, Sue Ellen bowed before walking off the lei tai and back to the others.

Molly nodded her head in respect as Sue Ellen passed her. She returned the gesture.

"That was some finisher," Jenna awed.

"I feel bad. Binky was really looking forward to that match. He has gotten a lot stronger since last we faced each other, though."

"Tch," Rattles spat before storming off. It made Sue Ellen feel more than a little awkward.

"He'll cool off," Molly assured. "He's just miffed 'cause he's the only boy left."

"So what about you two?" Sue Ellen asked, eyeing Jenna and Marina. "You guys are next."

They glanced at each other before smiling.

"We're ready," they said in unison.


	23. Chapter 23: Jenna vs Marina!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Tiger vs Crane! Jenna vs Marina!

Jenna had never felt more appreciated as she stood in the center of the ring, swathed in the roaring praise of the audience. Raising her fists, the crowd swelled even louder. It felt good.

"WOO," Francine called. "Go Jenna!"

_No matter what happens_, she thought to herself, _I'm happy to have made it this far_.

"AND NOW, PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING: THE WHITE CRANE OF MIGHTY MOUNTAIN—MARINAAAAA DATILLO!"

With her knowing smirk, Marina stepped out into a hail of flash photography as the audience grew even louder.

"That chick gives me the creeps," Rattles chimed, revealing himself.

"Ditto," Molly agreed, watching Marina step into the ring.

"Molly!" Fern chided.

"Just sayin'..."

Out in the stands, Prunella let out a whistle so loud that Marina winced.

"Sorry," Prunella laughed awkwardly as the surrounding spectators glared at her. "Big fan..."

"This is it," Jenna grinned.

"Looks like," Marina retorted.

"THAT'S RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTS: THE SOCCER RIVALRY BETWEEN LAKEWOOD ELEMENTARY AND MIGHTY MOUNTAIN IS TESTED RIGHT HERE! WILL IT BE SETTLED ONCE AND FOR ALL? LLLLLLLLLLLET'S FIND OUT! READYYYYYY? FIGHT!"

"You ready?" Jenna asked, entering Tiger Stance.

"Of course," Marina smiled, straightening herself and beckoning Jenna, even putting one hand behind her back.

The audience loved it.

Jenna opened with a Flying Kick. With a loud pop, Marina had caught her knee in her palm, lowering it with a gentle push.

While the rest of the audience sat dumbfounded, Prunella smiled.

Jenna fired her fist forward in a powerful jab, but Marina stepped aside. She caught Jenna's arm, her fingers threatening to pinch her nerves.

With gritted teeth, Jenna rammed her knee into Marina's gut, forcing her to take a step back to recover.

"Okay," Marina grunted. "I guess we're skipping the warm-up..."

With a deep exhale, Marina lifted one knee into the air and held out her arms towards her opponent in Crane Stance.

"JUST LOOK AT THAT BALANCE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S TIGER VERSUS CRANE—WHO COMES OUT ON TOP IS ANYBODY'S GUESS!"

"Please be careful," Prunella muttered.

"You worry too much," Marina grinned, her face slightly turned to Prunella's direction.

"Oh, I'm not worried," Jenna retorted.

"No? Maybe you should be," she warned playfully.

"And why's that?"

"Come find out."

The audience was enthralled as Marina was able to deflect Jenna's attempts to sweep her off her one foot; she was reactive, letting Jenna's attacks flow off of her like water.

"What do you think?" Fern asked Molly as the other competitors spectated.

"Muay Thai's no joke. Might be the most 'martial' art, if you catch my meaning. Why a girl like that would wanna learn it is beyond me, but it's not my place. Point is, she may not have the guts to pull off some its most effective attacks. But she's holding her own. Good form, but her patience doesn't look like it's gonna hold out much longer."

Fern watched as Jenna began putting more power behind her attacks as a way of wearing down Marina's defense.

"And Marina?"

"Wild card. Always had kung fu pegged as flowery spectator sports, but heck if she's not proving me wrong. But...there's somethin' else..."

"You sense it, too?"

Sue Ellen's ears perked.

"I KNEW THAT BROAD AIN'T BLIND," Rattles erupted, only to be ignored.

By now, Jenna was short of breath.

_Okay_, Jenna thought to herself, _this isn't working. She's barely even broken a sweat. Why_—

"You're holding back," Marina accused.

"What?"

"I'm not sure why, but you're not giving me your all. If you're concerned about hurting me, don't be. This is a tournament. We're all here to win."

Jenna wasn't sure if she should feel offended or encouraged. Finally, she sighed with a smirk.

"You're a weird girl, you know that?"

Marina smiled with a shrug.

"Alright, since you asked for it—HURRICANE UPPER!"

Jenna swiped her fist upward, summoning a small whirlwind that swept Marina off her feet, sending her flying a short distance away.

The audience fell silent.

"Well," Molly smiled, unfolding her arms, "things just got a lot more interesting."

"That's more like it," Marina exhaled, dusting herself off after getting back up. "Now," she started, resuming stance, "what else you got?"

"TIGER KNEE," she yelled.

With all the force and momentum of a wrecking ball, Jenna hurtled toward Marina with a special Flying Knee attack, this time with both her feet tucked in.

With a loud thwack, she bowled into Marina and sent her flying again.

"GO JENNA," Francine hollered, snapping the audience out of its daze as they followed her example.

Jenna couldn't help but laugh at the positive attention.

"Come on," Prunella urged under her breath, "get up, Mari."

"Okay," Marina grunted as she got back up. "My turn."

High on her hype, Jenna charged at Marina, who pivoted, flowing her hands into Jenna's abdomen to release a concentrated burst of ki. It appeared as a teal bubble of light that popped on contact, blasting Jenna off her footing.

Marina took a deep breath as she gracefully formed back into stance.

"Woah," Fern awed.

"Yeah," Molly mumbled, entranced.

"I...I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT'S HISTORY IN THE MAKING!"

Jenna rose, soothing her gut with a dazed smile.

"W-What hit me?"

"My chi," Marina replied.

"Right. We're doing that now...Okay."

From her place five feet away, Jenna spun and flung herself towards Marina with a leg outstretched. Her leg was engulfed in an orange glow that might have looked like fire to an untrained observer.

Marina backflipped, but not quick enough that the ends of her blindfold weren't singed. When she recovered, her face was not as placid as usual.

Jenna gulped.

Marina swept her hands into a thunderous pushing motion, launching Jenna into the air. She jumped up after her, kicking her higher, punching her higher, again and again, at least fifteen feet into the air. Above Jenna, she spun, erupting her hands into another ki bubble that sent Jenna plummeting back down. When she landed, it was outside the lei tai.

Back on the ground, Marina breathed deep, raising her hands with an inhale, and lowering them with an exhale as her face softened again.

"R-ring," the announcer croaked before clearing his throat. "RING OUT! MARINA DATILLO ADVANCES TO THE SEMIFINALS."

_Well_, a prone Jenna Morgan thought to herself, _at least the grass smells nice_...

She struggled onto her knees, then halted. Standing on the edge of the ring was Marina Datillo, hand outstretched. With an incredulous chuckle, Jenna accepted.

"Definitely weird," she reiterated. "But I like the cut of your jib."

They laughed as they walked off the ring together.


	24. Chapter 24: Molly vs Rattles!

Chapter Twenty-Four: Molly vs Rattles!

"THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES BLAZES ON LIKE A RAGING FIRE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—RIGHT HERE: ON THE STAGE OF DESTINY! TWO FRIENDS MEET TODAY TO SETTLE A SCORE! YOU KNOW THEIR NAMES—FIRST UP, IT'S THE DE FACTO DEFECTOR—"

With a gentle grasp, Molly eased Fern's tightened fist as they stood in the threshold.

"—THE KINETIC KARATEKA SENSEI SUPREME: MOLLYYYYYYY MACDONALD!"

"Just make sure I see you in the Finals," Fern teased.

Molly only grinned as she stepped out into a thunderous applause. She shook her head as she heard Fern whooping behind her.

By now, Slink's voice was just about gone. But he tried his best to cheer Molly on.

The butterflies threatening to burst from his stomach, Rattles had started jabbing the air, bobbing up and down as he tried to regulate his breathing. Anything to keep him from freezing up.

The ground rumbled, heralding the heavy footsteps of Binky Barnes, who had just now rushed back from the infirmary. It was obvious he hadn't been cleared to leave by the medical staff, some of whom darted back and forth down distant hallways in search of him.

"Binky," Sue Ellen started, concern clear in her voice.

But Binky, nestled in the corner and huffing over his knees, only put a finger up to his lips as he shook his head.

A nurse rushed up to the threshold of their spectating area. If she were to take one more step further, she'd have found him.

"Have any...of you kids...seen Mr. Barnes?" she gasped between breaths.

Everyone shrugged.

"Fast for...such a big guy," she muttered, hurrying back the way she came.

"How you holdin' up?" Binky asked Rattles as they walked just up to entrance to the field. His voice was hushed.

He could tell Rattles was a wreck.

"The heck am I gonna do?" Rattles whispered, mostly to himself.

"Hey, you got yourself into this mess. You're the only one who's gonna get you out."

"Yeah," he sobered, bobbing up and down, shaking out his limbs.

"Relax. This ain't the end of the world. You know she's tough. But so're you. Show her everythin' you got. Ya might even impress her."

Rattles stopped moving as that last sentence echoed in his head.

"AND NOW, PLEASE WELCOME THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE RUFFIAN—THE DANGEROUS DEPUTY OF THE TOUGH CUSTOMERS, HIMSELF—just ask any of Lakewood's third graders—RRRRRRRRRATTLES!"

He needed a soft push through the threshold, but the enormity of the stadium and the event in which he was about to participate snapped him out of his stupor.

_Bink's right_, he mused. _I'm a Tough Customer. I got this_.

As he swaggered towards the ring, he glanced towards Arthur and friends, who jolted in their seats before bleating automated cheers, afraid for their lives. With a conceited raise of his chin, he grinned before entering the lei tai. Removing his baseball cap, he swept his fingers through his hair before riling up the crowd with outstretched arms.

"You been workin' out, Rattles?" Molly teased, hands on her hips.

"Like what you see?" he retorted, flexing for the audience. "I'll give you a closer look in just a sec."

Molly sighed.

_THE HECK AM I SAYIN'?_ he agonized.

"READYYYY?"

Rattles raised his fists as Molly entered stance.

"FIGHT!"

Rattles moved first, prompting Molly to take a step back. He did the same when she stepped towards him.

They were reading each other, assessing the other's form. They danced back and forth, testing defense.

Rattles darted in for a series of jabs aimed at her face—she evaded all but one, but Rattles stopped before uppercutting her chin. She immediately retaliated with a flurry of strikes he managed to evade, save for a halted blow to his nose.

They repeated this pattern of testing each other's reaction times, discipline, and...something else.

"It's like they're...sparring," Fern noted, fascinated.

"Never seen 'em go at it like this," Binky said, equally transfixed.

They were incorporating more footwork now, evading kicks and knee-strikes.

"BOOORING," Jenna groaned.

"So what's the deal, MacDonald?" Rattles grunted between strikes. "We not good enough for ya anymore? Why'd you quit the gang?"

"What do you care?" Molly hissed as she weaved about the air.

His eyebrows twitched into an involuntary frown as he blocked her attacks. They were making contact now.

"What's that supposed ta mean?"

"It means it's none of your business."

"Like heck it ain't! Tough Customers're a family. You can't just up and leave us like that."

"Maybe I got tired a' beatin' up third graders."

"Is that what this is about? You goin' soft? Who cares? More lunch money for the rest of us. But that don't mean you have to bail."

"Too bad," Molly exhaled, grazing his cheek with her knuckles. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I'm serious!"

"Why're you acting like it even matters to you? You sayin' you miss me makin' fun of you?"

"I'm sayin' the Tough Customers needs you. I'm sayin' _I_—"

Rattles choked, landing a knee to Molly's gut. His eyes ballooned as he was overcome with regret.

"AND THE FIRST HIT GOES TO RATTLES!"

She didn't budge as she hung, doubled over for a moment. She snapped her head up to face him, bearing gritted teeth.

_Aw, crud_—

Molly erupted from her low stance into a spinning uppercut that catapulted the both of them into the air.

When she landed, she entered a more offensive stance.

"A STELLAR COUNTERATTACK FROM MOLLY! COULD IT BE OVER ALREADY?"

"I'M GOOD, I'm good," Rattles groaned as he shuffled back onto his feet. "I'm...I'm sayin' we should talk about this."

"I'm done talking. Now we're fighting."

"We both know I can't beat you. But maybe I can convince you—"

"—It's _done_, Rattles. I made my choice and my peace with it."

The leather of his fingerless gloves creaked as his fists tightened. Soon, though, they went slack again as his posture relaxed.

"I ain't gonna fight you. An' if you don't wanna talk, then...I'm outta here. I got better places to be..."

There was a tone in his voice that she had never heard from him before. Her heart was beginning to swell with guilt.

"Rattles, if I'd known you'd take it so personally—"

"—Save it," he muttered, leaving the ring.

"It, uh...IT WOULD APPEAR THAT RATTLES HAS FORFEITED THE MATCH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

As the crowd booed, Rattles hid his face beneath the bill of his cap, hands-in-pockets as he walked off the field.

"MOLLY MACDONALD ADVANCES TO THE SEMIFINALS! THAT CONCLUDES THE QUALIFIERS! I HAVE A FEELING THINGS ARE ONLY GOING TO GET MORE EXCITING FROM HERE, FOLKS!"

Molly was frozen as she watched Rattles walk into their spectating area.

"What was that about?" Binky pleaded. "What happened out there? What's wrong?"

"Doesn't matter," he mumbled as he walked past everyone. "This whole thing's bogus anyhow."

After he left, Fern turned to look out at Molly, who stood like a statue in the ring.

It was a year ago now that she had left the Tough Customers. For her, at least. She thought she was over it, but now...

"Ahem," the announcer signaled, snapping her back.

She felt heavier in her walk back to the others.


	25. Chapter 25: Fern vs Sue Ellen!

Chapter Twenty-Five: Old Friends, New Rivals: Fern vs Sue Ellen!

As another loop of a Crosswire Motors ad droned on outside, a cold draft blew into their little spectating area, which felt noticeably more empty now without Rattles' enormous ego to fill it up.

As Marina and Jenna entertained themselves with an intense game of pattycake, Binky and Sue Ellen watched with interest. Of course, Sue Ellen was trying hard to split her focus between the game and Fern, who still remained a mystery to her. She stood with Molly some short distance away from the group in a nearby corner.

"I'm fine," Molly groaned. With a look of concern, Fern had been staring at her for some time now.

"You're not."

"I said I'm fine," Molly eventually repeated.

"Hey," Fern chided softly, taking her hands, "It's me here. You can talk to me."

She hung her head with a sigh.

"I just..."

"It's okay."

"It's like...no matter what I do, I always end up hurting somebody..."

Fern sighed, giving Molly's hands a gentle squeeze. There was no simple response, she knew. But before she could try, the music outside switched to an energetic thrumming as the crowd was reanimated.

"I HOPE YOU'VE ALL ENJOYED THE TOURNAMENT SO FAR, LADIES AND GENTS, COURTESY OF CROSSWIRE MOTORS—WITH PRICES SO LOW, THEY MUST BE QUACKERS! Haha," the announcer feigned before a sigh.

"BECAUSE THE STAKES ONLY GET HIGHER FROM HERE, FOLKS! THAT'S RIGHT, THE SEMIFINALS ARE READY TO BEGIN! LET'S GET PHYSICA—" he stopped, putting his hand up to his earpiece. "Apparently, we haven't licensed that song—BUT YOU GET THE IDEA! LET'S GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO THE TITANIC TAEKWONDO TERMINATOR...SUUUUUUUE-ELLEN ARMSTRONG!"

With Jenna now having won the game of pattycake, and taking no small amount of pride in it, Sue Ellen turned to head outside.

"Go easy on her, huh?" Binky teased.

Sue Ellen smiled before continuing on, giving a solemn nod to Fern on her way out, who returned the gesture. The crowd went wild as soon as she stepped through the threshold.

"She's been staring at you since we got here," Molly said, glad for a change of subject as she watched Sue Ellen leave. "She's been waiting for this."

"So have I," Fern grinned, perhaps a bit dark. She dropped her gaze in embarrassment.

"Don't let it go to your head," Molly scolded. "She's good-—better than good. You're going to have to earn this win. She's gonna want to test the limits of your strength," she warned, her tone grave. Then a smile warmed her face. "But unfortunately for her, I don't think you've got any."

The vote of confidence soothed her doubts, and Fern returned her smile.

"AND NOW, THE ONE-HIT WONDER, HERSELF: IIIIIIT'S FERN! WALTERS!"

Molly gripped Fern's shoulder, saying nothing. Fern nodded knowingly before heading out to the ring.

As Molly watched Fern enter the ring, Jenna came up behind her, watching as well.

"You two're good friends, huh?" she asked, perhaps in admiration.

"The best," Molly admitted without a thought.

_Alright, Fern_, Sue Ellen thought to herself, _time to figure you ou_—

As soon as Fern had lowered one foot onto the lei tai, Sue Ellen gave an involuntary exhale; she could now sense the magnitude of Fern's ki. She was a giant—not at all the quiet, androgynous wallflower of a girl she had turned her back on so long ago.

_Lord knows I could use the challenge_, Sue Ellen steeled, overcoming her shock.

"READY?"

As they bowed, a single leaf sailed through the wind overhead.

"FIGHT!"

They assumed their stances, eyes locked—unblinking.

"They do know this ain't a starin' contest, don't th—" Binky was silenced by Marina, who placed a hand on his shoulder. She and Molly were absorbed in the standoff.

The leaf that had danced above their heads descended between them.

When it landed, Fern and Sue Ellen zoomed at each other with unnatural speed—disappearing on collision.

"WH-where'd they go?" the announcer blurted, adjusting his sunglasses as he frantically scanned the ring.

The crowd clamoured in confusion.

"D-Did they put a trap door in the ring and not tell me about it?" Binky wondered, his voice breaking.

Just then, they reappeared on the far side of the ring, Fern ducking below a kick to her head. She retaliated, but they vanished again on impact.

"Maybe I shouldn'ta left the infirmary so early," Binky muttered, rubbing his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped when he noticed that the girls were twitching their heads left, right, up, down again.

Jenna sucked in air through her teeth, as she winced with enthusiasm.

"What is wrong with you peop—"

"Sh!" Jenna interrupted. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"You're tellin' me you guys can tell what's goin' o—"

Jenna held up her hand to silence him, swerving her neck to the side with an ecstatic grin. Binky threw up his arms with an aggravated sigh.

The audience gasped as the fighters flickered back into sight to reveal Sue Ellen stepping up Fern's chest to knee her in the face. It connected, and Fern flew—sliding onto her back, her head hanging just off the lei tai. She locked eyes with the announcer who stood frozen, his jaw dropped.

"H-How are you doing thi—"

She smiled before leaping back onto her feet to face Sue Ellen, wiping her lower lip after forming up. Both of them were panting.

_Her speed, her endurance_, Sue Ellen awed. _It's unreal..._

"How _are_ you doing this?" she interrogated. Her tone was firm.

Fern only breathed.

"I hardly even recognize you—your energy, the way you carry yourself."

Fern's eyes darkened.

"People change," she respired.

They were the same words Sue Ellen had used to justify turning her back on her. She swallowed in shame.

"Alright," Sue Ellen relented. "Maybe you don't owe me an explanation. Maybe you don't owe me anything..."

"Other than a good fight, you mean."

"Yeah," Sue Ellen smiled, sadness in her voice. She was too ashamed to apologize. But now wasn't the time anyhow.

With a flying kick, she flung herself towards Fern, who was deft enough to evade. Taking her forward momentum into account, Fern latched onto Sue Ellen's outstretched leg, swinging around and hurling her back the way she came.

She darted after her, soaring just above the stone of the lei tai like a fighter jet. After a recovery roll, Sue Ellen looked up to see Fern racing towards her, milliseconds away with a fist cocked back. She braced, crossing her arms over her face. At the moment of impact, they seemed to evaporate again as the audience gasped.

They flickered into a view again and again, here and there, each time at a different corner of the ring, and each time they stayed visible for longer.

"They can't keep at it like this for much longer," Marina noted.

Molly said nothing, gripping her biceps with arms folded.

Sue Ellen and Fern had each other's hands locked in theirs, exerting equal amounts of weight and energy against each other.

"You're...getting tired," Fern grunted.

_She's right_, Sue Ellen admitted to herself. _I've never had to fight this hard for this long before..._

"Guess I better...wrap this up then, huh?" Sue Ellen retorted, just as strained.

Keeping their hands locked, she leaned back, letting Fern's force push her onto her back. She tucked her legs up to thrust them into Fern's abdomen as they rolled, but Fern managed to meet Sue Ellen's feet with her own. Now she was having to support Fern's weight through her arms and feet, her back to the ground.

_This is bad_, she alarmed. _Gotta think quick..._

Fern felt Sue Ellen's palms heat up against her. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was about to do. She tried to pull away.

But Sue Ellen wasn't letting go.

Molly unfolded her arms, her lips parting involuntarily.

"This is it," Jenna said, unaware she had said anything.

Between the creases of their clasped hands, golden light began to shimmer through. Fern gritted her teeth. She wasn't going anywhere.

The lights between their hands morphed into a green hue as the space between their palms began to widen.

Sue Ellen's own eyes went wide.

The locks on their hands were undone as luminous orbs of light expanded between them, finally exploding in a blinding flash.

When the smoke cleared, both competitors were on their backs, lying on opposite sides of a small crater that smoked between them.

Their uniforms were singed, winding spindles of smoke rising off of them.

Neither of them moved.

"Uh," the announcer finally chimed, his voice breaking. "It would seem we have a d-double K.O, ladies and gent—"

Fern stirred, her fingers twitching before raising a knee off the ground. She shuffled to her feet as the crowd looked on, silent in disbelief.

Molly let out a sigh of relief.

"I...don't believe it," the announcer awed. "WALTERS STANDS VICTORIOUS! SHE ADVANCES TO THE FINALS—LET'S HEAR IT, FOLKS!"

"WALTERS, WALTERS, WALTERS!" the audience chanted.

She bowed at Sue Ellen, who stirred, but did not rise as the leaf touched back down on the lei tai. Then Fern exited the ring.

"YOU WERE INCREDIBLE," Jenna gushed as Fern walked in, clasping her shoulders and practically bouncing up and down.

"Thanks, Jenna," a tired Fern smiled.

"She's right," Marina agreed. "You were beautiful out there."

"I had a good teacher," Fern blushed, looking over to her sensei.

"Yeah, yeah," Molly groaned. "C'mere—"

Molly held her tight. It made Jenna's eyes misty.

"Alright, enough with the schmaltz," Molly finally said, reluctantly pulling away. "Get over to the infirmary."

"But I feel f—"

Most people wouldn't have been able to read the look Molly gave her, but Fern understood it just fine.

"Okay, okay," she complained.

Binky made sure to fistbump her on her way out.


	26. Chapter 26: Molly vs Marina!

Chapter Twenty-Six: What do you See, Marina? Molly vs Marina!

Swathed in the cheers of the audience, Molly and Marina stood at the center of the ring.

"I've been looking forward to this," Marina admitted, practically beaming.

Before her loomed a vibrant mass of red energy that pulsed with Molly's breathing. Marina had observed most people to be erratic globs that reacted to the slightest stimuli or thought. But Molly's ki was laser-focused: it maintained a fixed shape-the shape of Molly MacDonald, perfectly honed and controlled. It might have frightened her if she didn't find it so beautiful.

"That right?"

"Yes. I think we both know you're the strongest fighter here. I couldn't ask for a better opponent to test myself against."

"Strongest, huh?" Molly smirked.

"Am I wrong?"

"READYYY?" the announcer revved.

"Guess we'll have to find out, won't we?"

"FIGHT!"

Wasting no time at all, Marina hopped towards Molly with her leg cocked back, bursting her foot into Molly's core with enough force to blast her straight up into the air.

"Like a SOCCER ball," Prunella yelped, quite involuntarily.

Molly whistled higher and higher until she splayed her limbs out, booming to a sudden stop, some forty feet above the lei tai.

She was suspended in the air.

Marina looked up, grinning ear to ear.

"I-I," the announcer squeaked. "M-Molly MacDonald is _flying_?"

Marina laughed in disbelief as she looked up. She saw Molly as a vast, thrumming red supernova against an endless sea of black.

"Incredible," she awed to herself.

The scarlet nebula warped into an arrowhead figure before bearing down on her.

Molly dive-bombed with a meteoric punch primed behind her.

_Oh, dear-_

As Molly plummeted down, Marina backflipped out of harm's way with near-imperceptible speed.

"Fast, huh?" Molly noted, wrenching her fist out of the lei tai with a loud crunch.

"Only when I need t-"

"Let's see just _how_ fast," Molly thought aloud as she soared towards Marina at mach speed.

Molly blitzed with a hail of near-supersonic fists and kicks that Marina was forced to block, dodge, and deflect faster than she ever thought she was capable of. The constant barrage of explosive contact began to kick up a winding halo of dust and debris around them as the audience swelled.

The jaws of both Prunella and Slink widened as their gaze rose further and further above the ring: as they traded blows, Marina and Molly were drifting ever higher off the ground.

They battled so high that it became difficult to spectate the action with the sun in everyone's eyes. Eventually, Marina managed to break away, landing back on the ring. She was utterly winded, panting as she resumed stance. Molly followed suit, though her breathing, Marina noticed, was not nearly as frantic.

_Such discipline_, Marina mused, breathing heavily. _Her chi-it's remarkable..._

She finally pulled her eyes away, glancing at Prunella out in the stands.

"What? What is it?" Prunella wondered, worry clear on her face. She knew Marina was trying to tell her something, but...what?

Marina then turned towards Jenna who stood in the entrance to the field, knees bent and hands out as if to beg, 'what's wrong?' After a few seconds of thought, Jenna knew.

Marina lowered her head with a smile before relaxing her posture.

She bowed before Molly.

The crowd's murmuring grew into a clamour.

The move had caught Molly off guard, but she soon understood. She returned the gesture.

"Well, ladies and gents," the announcer began, clearly exhausted. "After an amazing bout I don't think anyone here will soon forget, it would appear that Marina Datillo...yields. Molly MacDonald advances to the finals."

As she stood, ignoring the audience's discontent while admiring Molly's ki, Marina thought she noticed something else-just off the corner of her eye, out in the audience. But it was gone as soon as she attempted to focus on it.

_Must be more tired than I thought_, she resolved as victory music blared over the speakers.

"Shall we?" she asked Molly with a weary smile.

They exited the field together.


	27. Chapter 27: Fern vs Molly!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Master vs Pupil: Fern vs Molly

At the far corner of the infirmary, an unconscious Muffy Crosswire was snoring rather loudly in a hospital bed, snoozing with her limbs splayed out quite ungracefully. Beside her, Sue Ellen sat reclined in her bed all bandaged up-her arms and hands especially. After many sheepish glaces, she had committed to watching Fern, who meditated next to her.

When Fern had come in, she only asked for something to eat. She was treated for minor burns and bruises, but kindly refused any more help than that.

As she looked inward, Fern could feel her wounds heal faster all over. Shutting out the world around her allowed her to replenish her ki as she focused on her breathing, feeling the rhythm of her body's many systems as they worked in tandem.

After a deep exhale, she entered the world again. She opened her eyes to view the television that hung on the opposite wall. It was tuned into the tournament broadcast and was currently replaying highlights from all the previous matches. The TV crew had figured out that slowing the footage frame by frame revealed moments of Fern and Sue Ellen in combat. Though these glimpses were blurry at best, they were better than nothing at all.

All the while, Sue Ellen was trying to work up the nerve to apologize for the way she had acted all this time. She was cut short, though, when Fern hopped off the edge of her bed to leave.

"F-Fern," Sue Ellen called out, a lump forming in her throat.

Fern stopped, but didn't turn around.

"...good luck," she sighed.

After watching Fern run out of the infirmary, Sue Ellen turned her attention to the television.

The rest of the fighters were gathered in the same place Fern had left them.

"You look better," Molly noted.

"You were right," Fern admitted. "So how did it go?"

"You should have seen it!" Jenna gushed. "They were amazing!"

"It was a good fight," Marina smiled, trying to sober up the moment. "I learned a lot. But I know my limits. Besides, I think we all knew it would come to this," she grinned.

"Coulda fooled me," Binky chimed. "My money was on Sue Ellen making it to the finals for sure."

"I was surprised, myself," Jenna admitted. "Er-no offense..."

"None taken," Fern laughed. "It wasn't easy."

"Something tells me it only gets harder from here," Marina teased.

The growing roar of the audience outside grabbed everyone's attention as they saw the announcer take center ring.

"THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS. THIS IS IT-THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: THE GRAND FINALS OF THE ELWOOD CITY JUNIOR MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT!"

The crowd boomed in excitement.

"THE FINAL MATCH-WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? IT'S MASTER VS PUPIL, LADIES AND GENTS! IT DOESN'T GET MORE DRAMATIC THAN THAT! PLEASE, WELCOME TO THE LEI TAI-or what's left of it-MOLLY MACDONALD!"

"Alright, alright," Molly blushed, halting her friends' heartfelt blessings before storming out into the field. Seeing her so flustered made Marina and Fern giggle.

"How are you feeling?" Marina asked, turning to Fern.

"I feel...good. I've come a long way. We both have," Fern smiled, clearly nostalgic. "It'll be good to face her again, no holds barred."

"Well, we're rooting for ya," Jenna winked.

"Speak for yourself!" Binky interrupted.

"Fair enough," Fern laughed, the other girls joining in.

"AND NOW," the announcer bellowed, "MACDONALD'S OWN PROTÉGÉ: THE KARATE CUB-FERN WALTERS!"

"Fight well," Marina called out behind Fern.

As Fern stepped into the ring, the announcer approached the both of them.

"Listen, girls," he started. His microphone was off. "I just wanted to congratulate you two on getting this far. This has been the highlight of my career, without a doubt. While I don't understand many the things I've seen here today, it hardly matters. It's been an honor. Thanks for reminding an old goat like me why I got into this business in the first place."

Molly was unmoved, but Fern bowed her head with a smile.

"READY?" he grinned.

"I want everything, Fern. Don't hold out on me," Molly warned, entering stance.

"You'll get it," Fern grinned, following suit.

"FIGHT!"

Molly and Fern stood, still as statues as the crowd looked on in silence.

They knew all each other's moves-their strengths and their weaknesses. This fight would have to be won through sheer attrition, they both knew. But who would last longer?

Molly moved first, slowly shifting her footing forward. In lockstep, Fern inched backwards.

They eyed each other carefully, assessing the other's form, looking for any imperfection-any opening to exploit. Of course, neither could find one.

"I'm starting to regret drilling you so much on your defense," Molly teased.

Fern simply smirked, unfazed by her attempt at distraction.

As Marina watched, she saw it again: that...presence from before-out in the stands. It was gone just as soon as it appeared, but she was certain she saw something this time.

"What is it?" Jenna asked, noticing Marina's change in expression.

"There's...something out there," she revealed.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, but it's the second time I've seen it now."

Jenna and Binky traded confused looks.

Just then, Molly jerked her head back as she was stricken with a splitting headache-its power bringing her to her knees. It felt like a bolt of lightning had cleaved through her brain, making her cry out in agony.

"MOLLY?!" Fern screamed. "Molly, what's wrong?"

It took all of Molly's will to speak between pained grunts.

"I...I'm...something's-RRRRG-SOMEONE'S...ATTACKING ME!"

Suddenly, Molly's ki began to visibly radiate in a violent blaze of red that twitched and stuttered all around her.

"Wha-who's attacking you?" Fern panicked, scanning their surroundings. "I don't understand!"

"Oh no," Molly gasped. "F-Fern, I-RAAAGH-YOU NEED TO LEAVE, I..."

"If I knew what was happening, maybe I could stop it-"

Molly steeled herself as best she could, clenching both her fists and slamming them into the ground, shattering the stone tiles beneath her.

"Please, j-just GO-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Molly gripped her head with both her hands, her forehead pressing against the shattered ground as she doubled over.

"Molly..."

Fern felt utterly helpless. Her eyes widened as she watched Molly lift off the ground; she was curled into a ball, clutching her head-her frantic fingers ruffling her hair.

Then came electricity. It sparked all around the ring, like the tongues of a whip-red and unpredictable, tearing up everything in its path.

"...w-what's happening to you?" Fern whispered in awe.

Molly's aura changed color, her vivid red darkening into purple. The shift seemed to hurt Molly even more, as she unfurled from her fetal position and began to shriek with such power, all the glass in the stadium shattered in an instant as all electronics shorted out. The sonic force of her screams seemed to shake the entire city.

The loud crash of the jumbotron monitors exploding overhead was enough to snap Jenna out of her fright. She sprinted into the field and, with a powerful upward swipe of her fist, summoned a giant cyclone to send the deadly shards outside the stadium as attendees fled in terror.

Desperate, Fern looked to Jenna, then to Marina.

But no one knew what to do.

Then Molly stopped screaming. Her aura suddenly snuffed out like a candle, and she fell back to the ground, landing on her knees before doubling over on her elbows. Her breathing was labored. The red lightning was still crackling around her, though less violently now.

Fern gingerly approached, relieved, but still confused.

"Molly? I-is it over?"

Molly was panting heavily, her face close to the ground. Her breathing gave way to a cold chuckle.

"For you..."

Fern was taken aback. "Wha-"

"Fern," Molly sighed, hoisting herself up with a lazy, unnatural ease. What Fern saw startled her.

Molly seemed to be vibrating with new power; she was so agitated that veins were bulging from her temples and across her arms. Her hair was standing up in tufts, revealing darkened eyes that bore a hungry stare. She was giving off an energy so terrible and so large, it made Fern want to vomit.

A streak of lightning sparked between the two of them.

"You should have left...WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!"

Molly zoomed in to attack, but with a practiced precision, Fern caught a fist of murderous intent in her palm, the impact so forceful as to crack the stone at their feet-tiny shards of rock catapulting up into the air only to explode with a loud pop.

"Molly? What's happened to y-"

Marina and Jenna gasped as Molly kneed Fern in the gut with enough force to send her tumbling to the edge of the ring.

As Fern struggled to her feet, nursing her stomach, Molly was laughing, palm to her forehead-laughing so hard she was crying.

"_Molly?_" she whined in imitation. "You have got to be the most pathetic person I've ever met."

"Wh-"

"-Honestly! You're hopeless, Walters," she chuckled, slipping her arms out of her uwagi so that it hung around her waist, catching the wind as she entered stance. "And not only that...you're dead meat."

Her form was alien to Fern-more prideful. More aggressive. She was no longer concerned about defense, as if the stance itself were a challenge or a taunt.

Fern's eyes were welling up.

"See what I mean? Pathetic."

And in an instant, Molly tore through the air towards Fern, shattering the sound barrier with a deafening sonic boom. It was clear to all that Molly MacDonald no longer seemed to care about the no fatality rule.


	28. Chapter 28: It's Psycho Molly!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Watch out, Fern! It's Psycho Molly!

Molly's athletic tape burst off her arm as a brilliant mushroom cloud exploded upon impact, enveloping the entire ring in smoke. The audience was whipped into a panic as onlookers tried to make sense of what was going on.

"FERN!" George cried, his eyes welling up.

The cloudy veil faded to reveal that Fern had actually caught Molly's explosive punch in her palm. They stood in the center of a massive crater where the lei tai had been. Molly was shocked, but a wicked smile soon twisted her face.

"Well, well. Not bad."

Fern's expression wasn't so amused.

"Molly, stop this."

"_Stop_?" she laughed, "Right when this bogus tournament is finally getting good? Uh-uh, I don't think so."

"Look around you," Fern snapped. "Everyone is scared!"

"They should be," Molly grinned, surveying the audience. "When I'm done with you, I'm gonna blow this Popsicle stand. Literally."

"You can't be serious!"

"Better believe it, twerp." She entered her new fighting stance. "What're you gonna do about it?"

"I'm not sure what's going on with you, Molly. But I'm going to figure it out," Fern promised, shifting for battle. "And I'm going to help you."

"Pfft."

They suddenly disappeared from their positions as a sonic boom erupted in the center of the crater.

Another popped above, parting the clouds over the stadium as Molly could be seen hurtling back down towards the earth. What looked like a blue comet gave chase.

It was Fern, hands reeled over her head to smash Molly down with a double axe handle- another sonic blast and Molly plummeted straight down with a loud crash that kicked up a plume of dust from the crater in the center of the stadium.

Fern hovered over ground zero. As the dust settled, Molly rose out of the rubble. She gave her neck a loud crack before looking up to reveal that same dark grin. Sporadic sparks of red electricity danced around her.

"Not too shabby, Walters," she grunted, cracking her neck the other way. "Heck of a way to get the blood flowin'!" she taunted.

"I don't want to do this. I don't want to fight you like this."

"Then quit it," Molly laughed. "Ditch the training wheels and show me what you really got."

"This isn't you!"

"Yes it is," Molly snapped, her grin vanishing. "Always was, I just remember now."

Molly channeled her violently augmented ki, a purple aura bursting around her, causing dust to billow about as red lightning scraped the air.

"Oh, Molly," Fern sighed, flaring her ki in a blue surge that enveloped her.

They charged at one another, disappearing from view upon contact before a salvo of sonic booms danced across the air over the field.

By now, the audience had thinned as attendees had been fleeing for their lives all the while. Prunella had made her way to Marina and the other competitors in all the commotion, only to nearly slam into a distraught Binky Barnes.

"You!" He accused as soon as he locked eyes with her. "With your weird magic-did you have something to do with this?"

"W-what? No! I have no idea what happened," Prunella admitted.

"What's wrong with my friend?" Binky despaired, mostly to himself.

"This must be what Fern warned us about," Jenna said. "But who woulda thought it was Molly the whole time?"

"I...don't think it is," Marina corrected.

"What? You think she's possessed?" Prunella conjectured.

"More like...infected," she explained. "Something terrible is supercharging her chi, but it's as if it's poisoning her at the same time. I don't know how much more strain she can take."

"What do we do?" Jenna panicked.

"What _can_ we do? I could barely keep up with her before this happened. Now?"

"You mean we're just supposed to stand here and watch?" Binky detested as a deafening bolt of lightning struck the center of the field, exploding a smokescreen of dust and debris that soon cleared to reveal Fern and Molly in a frenzied back-and-forth at superspeed.

"Right now," Marina started, "Fern is the only one strong enough to go toe to toe with whatever Molly's struggling with. We...we just have to hope she can get through to her before it's too late."

"_Before it's too late_?" Binky was on the verge of tears. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If this goes on," Marina declared as she looked on, swallowing before continuing, "either one or both of them will die..."


	29. Chapter 29: Come back, Molly!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Come Back, Molly!

Fern careened into the battlefield with a thunderous smash. Everything hurt, but she had to keep moving. It was clear by now that her life depended on it.

_I can't keep this up_, Fern admitted to herself. _I have to try to end this as soon as possible…_

Fern waited, imbedded in the rubble, as Molly whistled down closer in a divebomb.

_Just a bit closer…_

Fern disappeared as Molly crashed down, only to reappear above her, grappling to lock her wrist behind her shoulder.

"This again?" Molly teased through gritted teeth.

"Yield, Molly. Please!"

"Well," Molly grunted, "since you asked so nicely…"

Molly flared her ki with enough force to send Fern flying off of her.

"This aikido schmaltz ain't gonna work on me, girl," Molly taunted, rolling her shoulder. "You want this to end, you gotta end it," she grinned.

"That's not how I was trained," Fern groaned, forcing herself back up.

"Too bad," Molly replied, her face darkening as a spark of electricity went off between them.

_Nothing's working_, Fern thought. _No matter how much force I try to use, she brushes it off._

"Wait," she whispered in realization.

"Saying your prayers?" Molly laughed. "Hope you asked for a miracle. Time's up."

Fern stood in place as Molly kicked off the dirt to rocket towards her, whamming her into the ground. There was no resistance.

"This is bad," Jenna screamed. "F-Fern's given up!"

"I can't watch this," Binky sighed, turning away.

Time seemed to slow as Molly could no longer hear anything, save for the thunder of her knuckles against Fern's face. She had her pinned, laughing maniacally in her face.

George's knees gave out beneath him; the sight was too much to bear.

Through the punches, Fern looked up defiantly, delving into that crazed glare in search of her best friend. They locked eyes and, suddenly...the punches stopped coming.

Molly's laughing gave way to stifled grunting as her fist halted in the air, trembling.

Fern smiled sheepishly, muttering as best she could. "The soft...and the pliable..."

The strength in Fern's eyes somehow steeled Molly, and her words pierced her heart-whisking her back to their time in the Sphere.

Molly groaned, clutching her head. She stumbled off of Fern, falling backwards onto the ground.

A voice exploded in Molly's mind-shrill and chilling.

_Insolent child! What do you think you're doing? FINISH IT!_

"N-no, I..."

"That's it," Fern whispered, shambling to her feet.

Red arcs of lightning began to crackle around Molly again as she writhed on the ground.

Fern entered tai chi stance.

"W-what on Earth is she doing?" Prunella blurted under her breath.

Molly growled, huffing violently as she struggled to her feet.

_DESTROY HER! DO IT NOW!_

She conjured memories of Fern's soft-style during their training. Molly was terrible at it in the beginning but, through it all, Fern had always been patient with her. And in the end...

Molly mimicked Fern's stance, quivering in her movements.

Fern took a deep breath, continuing slowly, flowing through all the forms they knew. It took every ounce of her will, but Molly followed her movements as the others gawked in silence, utterly dumbfounded.

_W-what nonsense is this? _The foreign voice demanded.

_The soft...a-and...the pliable..._

_Foolish girl! You cannot deny your true nature! Your fists crave flesh-your knuckles yearn for blood! You are a violent creature! A BULLY!_

"-AGH!" Lightning sparked about Molly's figure as she yelped. Her aura burst into view around her, strobing wildly between a pulsing red and a violent purple.

But she did not waver.

_...w-will defeat...the hard-_

_I COMMAND YOU TO DESTROY THAT GIRL-_

"...and the strong!" The final word left her lips as she completed one last tai chi form.

Suddenly, Molly's ki exploded, the purple waning to a brilliant red.

Tears fell from behind Marina's blindfold as everyone else was forced to avert their gaze.

"They did it," she awed.

Molly's aura faded from view as she fell on all fours, catching her breath.

She looked up at Fern, who smiled down at her. Molly gave a tired smile back, but the moment was cut short as Fern wobbled, about to fall.

"Fern!"

Molly rushed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"And...and you said my soft-style was dorky..."

"Yeah...but I was wrong. It saved me. You saved me, Fern..."

"Nah, you...you did that all by yourself."

"Stop it."

"Maybe I helped a little..." Fern grinned; it hurt to move her face.

"Fern..." Molly was crying behind her bangs. "I'm so sorry. I'm so-"

"It's okay, silly. It's okay...I knew it wasn't really you."

"You still believed in me. Even when I was...you never gave up on me..."

" 'Course not. You never give up on people you love."

Molly smiled, sniffling. "You're hopeless Walters. You know that?"

"Am I still pretty, at least?" Fern couldn't keep a straight face.

Molly exhaled, amused and astonished at Fern's spirit. Molly's rampage had left Fern with a black eye-she was bruised and scuffed all over.

"Yeah, twerp," Molly chuckled, remorseful but happy. "It's actually an improvement."

They laughed together as everyone looked on without a sound.

Molly placed her hand to Fern's chest and took a deep breath.

Marina could see Molly transfer a portion of her own ki into Fern, brightening her lifeforce. Fern smiled as she felt her strength return.

"Now, come on..." Molly helped Fern back onto her feet as the others ran up to meet them. George stopped short of embracing Fern.

"Are you two okay?" Marina asked first.

Fern gave an assuring nod, but Molly was too nervous to respond immediately.

"Molly?" Binky called.

"It's me, Bink," she promised.

"Is it over?" Jenna asked, her voice shaking.

Molly and Fern traded solemn glances, putting everyone back on edge.

"The...thing that did that to you," Marina started, "It's still here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Molly said bitterly. "And I know who it is," she spat, turning to look out into the stands.

The rest turned and followed her gaze to see Lakewood Elementary School Secretary Cecilia Tingley standing proudly in the distance.


	30. Chapter 30: Revelation, Desperation!

Chapter Thirty: Revelation, Desperation!

"An impressive display, ladies!" Tingley called out as she defied gravity, rising above the stands to approach the battlefield. "But ultimately fruitless."

The kids looked on in shock, defenses raised.

"W-What's going on?" Jenna muttered.

"Oh, it's quite simple, Miss Morgan," Tingley chuckled, landing on the battered earth. "I devised this tournament in an effort to weed out Elwood's strongest young fighter. I'm not as young as I used to be, you see," she smiled, scanning their faces.

"What's that got to do with Molly?" Binky barked. "What'd you do to her?"

Tingley sighed as she looked Binky over with distaste.

"As I said, Mr. Barnes: I'm not getting any younger. Gathering you all here has allowed me to observe you, to gauge who among you shall be a suitable host body."

"H-host body?" Jenna blurted.

"That's right, child. Miss MacDonald here seemed the perfect candidate: strong and disciplined-practically brimming with raw power. A fine vessel to replace these old rags, wouldn't you say?" she asked, winking at Molly.

"Did you enjoy the little power boost I gave you?" Tingley continued, taunting Molly, who was shaking with anger. "I know I did. You should consider it an honor, you know. It's an opportunity few have had the pleasure-"

"Enough!" Fern asserted.

Tingley cocked an eyebrow as her chin shot up. She lowered it slowly as her grin returned.

"Ah, the wild card...Tell me, Miss Walters, how ever _did_ you manage to get this far? Mere days ago, you were a nobody."

"My friends have given me all the help I've needed-the same friends you've put in danger with your sick scheme. You're going to have to answer for everything you've done."

Tingley's puzzled face soon softened into a smile.

"And how do you plan to manage that?" she said plainly.

"Fern," Molly warned. "Move."

Everyone turned to see that Molly had her arms stretched forward as she channeled her ki into her open hands. The ground vibrated as she charged it. Her intent was clear.

"Molly…" Marina muttered.

"No more talking," Molly declared through gritted teeth. "I'm gonna wipe you off the face of the earth. No one else'll ever suffer what you did to me."

Tingley's grin faded.

"Molly," Fern thought aloud. "The amount of power you're putting into that-"

"I said: move."

The scarlet orb pulsing before Molly's palms expanded.

The others backed away nervously as strong gusts of energy radiated from Molly in rhythmic gales of wind, dust, and static electricity. But Fern stood her ground between her and Tingley.

"Molly, this attack will destroy half the stadium. There are still people here-you're talking about taking innocent lives!"

"It...it doesn't matter anymore-I'm already a monster," she uttered as tears rolled down from behind her bangs.

"You're not-"

"I NEARLY KILLED YOU! THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO ME IN AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND I CAME THIS CLOSE TO KILLING YOU!"

Fern was taken aback, but soon stood fast.

"But you didn't, Molly. You beat her-you freed yourself!"

"I'll never live this down! People will never forget what happened here. I thought I could change-I thought I could be a good person and start over. But after today...the damage has already been done…"

"Would you listen to yourself?! You _have_ changed! You _are_ a good person! This isn't your way anymore! You proved you're stronger by resisting her power. You're the strongest person I've ever met, Molly-and I'm not just talking about fighting strength. Are you going to throw all that away?"

Molly's heart threatened to explode from her chest as she relived the torture of losing control of her own body-her mind thrashed with the violent memory of pummeling Fern. The bubble swelled even more.

"Molly!" Fern pleaded.

"HOW CAN YOU DEFEND HER-"

"I'm not. I'm defending you. I won't let you cross this line."

"S-she's lost it again," Prunella muttered, shielding her face from the billowing dust as the others could only do the same.

With a steely gaze, Fern stared defiantly at her best friend.

"What would James think?" she dared, her eyes unflinching.

The words fazed Molly, whose impending attack shrunk until it disappeared into thin air. She relaxed, slumping her shoulders as she hung her head. Everyone relaxed.

"You're right, Fern..." she admitted, looking up. "I'm not that way anym-"

A hand erupted through Molly's chest. Its long, painted nails glistened in the sunlight.

The knifed hand slunk back out, causing Molly to jolt before dropping to her knees, then finally to the ground. Tingley was standing behind her.


	31. Chapter 31: Awakening!

Chapter Thirty-One: Open your Eyes, Fern! Awakening!

"What a waste," Tingley droned with a flick of her wrist.

"W-what did you do?" Fern choked as she scrambled to Molly. She surveyed the damage with a gasp. "No. No. Nonono-Molly? MOLLY!"

"Fern," Molly murmured.

"Please," Fern breathed, her eyes welling up.

Molly lifted her hand to Fern's cheek, wiping her tears away with a weak smile. Fern held her hand in place, gripping it.

"S'okay," she soothed, her voice dry and quivering. "I never s-said thank you, Fern. For everything…"

"Molly, please-save your strength, I...I can't do this without you," Fern sobbed.

"You can," Molly assured, pressing a weak fist against Fern's chest-against her heart. "You are a fighter, Fern," she smiled. "I-I'm proud of you..."

Molly's hand went limp as her smile faded. Fern's eyes widened as she held her best friend's lifeless body.

A solemn breeze swept over them, unveiling Molly's face from behind her bangs. For the first time since Fern had ever met her, Molly looked peaceful.

Fern cradled Molly's head against her chest as she cried in silence, eyes unmoving.

"Miss MacDonald had developed a rather annoying conscience," Tingley sighed, studying her fingernails. "I require a warrior-not a weakling," she spat.

"You...you monster!" Binky roared, charging at her.

But before Binky could land his superman punch, Tingley backhanded him with enough force to send him flying to the other end of the field.

"BINKY!" Jenna panicked, her heart nearly bursting from her chest.

"He's okay!" Marina confirmed, noting his lifeforce hadn't gone out. "He's just unconscious..."

"T-this is getting out of hand," Prunella stammered.

"Prunella," Marina suddenly chimed, stepping forward. "Stay back. Jenna and I will try our best to handle this."

Jenna swallowed, but gave a firm nod. "Right."

Tingley laughed.

"Please. You two? The blind girl and the bedwetter? This will hardly do," she scoffed, readying herself for a fight. "But if you insist on joining Miss MacDonald, I'll be happy to oblige."

With flickering speed, they dashed at Tingley, who deflected every one of their attacks, chuckling all the while. No matter how hard or how fast they struck-high or low, fist or knee, even together, they were no match for her. It wasn't long before they had drained too much energy.

"Have you had your fun, then?" Tingley taunted, gripping both their fists.

Without an ounce of effort, Tingley swung the girls up into the air before whipping them down into the ground with a loud crash. The girls coughed in the dust that was kicked up; they could hardly move. Marina struggled to get up, quaking on her elbows, but was shoved back down under Tingley's foot.

"You see, children, this is where you belong-where _all_ mortals belong," she relished. "Under. My. Heel," Tingley stressed, digging her stiletto into Marina's shoulder as her defiant silence gave way to grunting and, finally, screaming.

"Stop it!" Prunella begged. "Please!"

"I suppose you're right," Tingley sighed, unpinning her foot from Marina. "Let's not waste any more time, shall we?"

Violet orbs of light bloomed from her hands, aimed both at Jenna and Marina.

"NO!" Prunella wailed, falling to her knees.

Just then, Tingley was swallowed in an explosion of golden light. Prunella snapped her head to see Sue Ellen, hands outstretched in the entrance to the field.

When the smoke from the attack cleared, Tingley was still standing, but was visibly upset. She eased when she saw Sue Ellen in the distance, the corner of her mouth curling upward.

"Miss Armstrong!" she greeted, turning to face her. "So good of you to join us. Feeling better, I hope?"

After checking Binky's pulse, Sue Ellen approached, her gloved fist creaking at the sight of Fern sobbing over Molly's body.

"Oh, you needn't dirty yourself, my dear. You should count yourself lucky-I've chosen you as my next h-"

Sue Ellen popped across the field, reappearing to wham a deafening punch into Tingley's face. Prunella let out a sigh of relief.

But for all the power she had loaded into the attack, Tingley didn't lose her footing. Sue Ellen's eyes widened as Tingley turned her face with ease against her fist, locking eyes with her.

_I...I put nearly everything I had into that punch!_

"Now that was rude."

Tingley slammed her fist into Sue Ellen's gut, felling her to her knees.

"Now, hold still," she grinned, forcefully gripping Sue Ellen's forehead. "This will hurt quite a bit."

But just as Tingley had started to raise her ki, she felt another suddenly swell as the ground rumbled. The others felt it too, and turned to discover its source.

The earth around Fern began to fracture. Chips of rock rattled before being lifted off the ground by the rising tide of her ki.

Memories of Molly flooded Fern's mind: sharing in her meals, taking her hand when Fern was too weak to stand after a hard day of training, her smirk...her last words.

_You are a fighter._

Fern could feel it crumbling-the wall that sheltered her from the universe. Her restraints were swept away-her energy exploded as Fern released a kiai that could be heard for miles as the land cracked open around her.

She screamed as her lifeforce resonated with the ki of Mother Earth-with the oxygen molecules in the air, with the atoms that comprised the ground beneath her feet.

Fern was suddenly awash in an azure blaze of sparkling energy that illuminated her entire body-white-hot at its center; debris caught in the air surrounding her shimmering aura sailed gently as if in slow-motion. She opened her eyes to reveal a luminous new gaze, unstoppably piercing.

No one could believe what they were seeing.

Even Tingley found herself impressed by the hidden beauty and magnitude of Fern's lifeforce, now brilliantly revealed.

"Well," she grinned, turning to face her.

Marina could see Fern in her entirety. "Fern's energy, it's-I've never seen anything so...pure."

"W-what's happened to her?" Jenna marveled.

"It...it can't be," Marina realized.


	32. Chapter 32: Enter Shin Fern

Chapter Thirty-Two: Cosmic Vengeance! Enter Shin Fern

"My, my!" Tingley taunted. "It seems big things do come in small, pathetic packages!"

Fern's eyes were opened to the Truth; she was one with the universe now, and could see every thing for what it truly was.

"You are not a living being," Fern assessed as she gazed at Tingley. "Simply negative energy."

The very next moment, Fern was across the field as Tingley felt the force of a supernova explode against her gut, catapulting her into the stands with a deafening boom that sent shock waves through the air.

"Unreal!" Jenna raved, breathless.

"Could this...be yuán qì?" Marina wondered aloud.

"Huh?" Jenna puzzled.

"Origin chi," she explained, "The original energy at the heart of all things...Fern has managed to tap into that power, revealing her truest self!"

With a thundering roar, the spot where Tingley had crashed erupted in a violet explosion, destroying that portion of the stadium to reveal Tingley floating in the center of the blast. Her entire midsection-the point of Fern's impact was missing, or rather unveiled-replaced only with writhing shadow. She trembled in anger as she beheld her sorry state, looking up towards Fern with death in her eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU?" she boomed, winding up a supercharged energy blast before hurling it across the field towards Fern.

"Get down!" Jenna cried, diving away as the others did the same.

Fern lit up in a mushroom cloud as the orb made direct contact, causing the ground to quake as bits of rubble rained back down, pelting the field for a whole minute.

"Such spirited children," Tingley smirked, relaxing. "What a pity-"

Fern stepped out of the smoke unharmed.

"What?" Tingley hissed.

With every step Fern took across the field, Tingley grew more and more unnerved as the earth beneath Fern's feet was born anew, patches of grass and tiny flowers blooming in the ethereal blue fire she left in her wake.

"You are a parasite," Fern condemned, her voice humming on the wind with a supernatural cadence of absolute authority.

Tingley volleyed a stream of energy waves at her, but Fern's stride remained unbroken-an unstoppable force of nature closing in.

"All you will ever do is take," she continued, the gleam of her eyes heralding her approach before emerging once again from the smoke. With a subtle pulse, every dust particle surrounding her ignited into glittering sparkles that danced through the air.

"Enough!" Tingley snapped, the veins in her temples swelling close to bursting as she gritted her teeth in rage, the ground rumbling beneath her as red electricity crackled about.

"Enough," she repeated as her shoulders relaxed, the corner of her mouth suddenly curling in a deranged smile. "You've made your point, child," she chuckled before giving in to unrestrained laughter. "I should have seen it sooner," she mused, glaring at Fern-not in anger, but in hunger.

Tingley boomed forward at mach speed, splitting the earth behind her-hand outstretched like a talon to clutch Fern's forehead.

"Oh no," Jenna whispered, her voice quivering.

It was then that Fern snatched Tingley's wrist-faster than even Marina could perceive.

"Before you die," Fern started, causing Tingley's eyes to widen in horror, "Know what it is to lose something."

As if clenching her fist around nothing at all, Fern tightened her grip. The very same hand that had struck Molly dissolved into dancing specks of starlight before ever having the chance to hit the ground. The others had no choice but to cover their ears to defend against Tingley's agonized screech.

She stumbled back, falling to her knees as she grasped the stub in shock-the same roiling shadow that occupied the space where her diaphragm used to be lurching out from her wrist.

"I swear," Tingley growled, her voice drenched with hatred, "I will-"

"No," Fern interrupted, her voice unsettlingly calm as she approached. "No more lives for you to take. No more bodies for you to steal. No more."

"WHA-"

With one hand, Fern raised two fingers to Tingley's forehead. She looked up at Fern as her bloodshot eyeballs quaked in dread.

"Shinkūken."

Fern snapped her hand into a fist as her genki pierced Tingley's head in a dancing shaft of light that lit up the entire stadium, reflecting off the gray clouds overhead. She was swallowed entirely in Fern's super-energy, exploding into nothing as her shriek was finally drowned out by silence.

The only thing left was her broach, which rolled eerily around on the ground before finally falling flat.

Fern's glow disappeared as she fell limp, face first into the dirt.

"FERN!" Sue Ellen called out as the others gasped, rushing to her as everyone followed suit.

Terrified by what she might find, Sue Ellen hesitated before turning Fern over.

"I don't think...I can do that again…" Fern whispered as she looked up at her friends, all of whom let out sighs of relief.

"Let's hope you never have to," Marina smiled.

"You did it, Fern," Jenna soothed, her cheeks wet with tears.

"You saved us," Prunella thanked.

Fern shed a tear as she turned her head to look at Molly across the field.

"I-I can't move," she stammered, trying to keep herself together. "Could someone take me to her?"

Without a second thought, Binky picked her up and carried her to their friend, setting Fern down beside her. Unable to use her legs, Fern dragged herself towards Molly, finally burying her face in her gi as she gripped it with both hands.

Everyone stood in silence as Fern wept over Molly's body.


	33. Chapter 33: Don't Give Up! Final Bout!

Chapter Thirty-Three: Don't Give Up! Final Bout!

A cold breeze blew across the field: rocky, scarred, and dotted with craters. The blimp was ruined, and hung deflated over the side of the stadium opposite the smoldering cavity Tingley had left just moments earlier. Crosswire Stadium was a wasteland.

"What happens now?" Jenna finally asked, breaking the silence.

No one knew.

"Who will believe us?" Prunella wondered. "We're the only ones who've seen what happened," she gloomed, glancing at the abandoned camera stations across the field as thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Do you know, uhm...know any magic that could help us at all?" Jenna asked, immediately regretting it.

Prunella shook her head as the sky began to drizzle.

"We can't stay here," Marina said, mostly to Fern. She didn't respond.

"Fern…" Sue Ellen prodded.

"Go," Fern said plainly, unable to take her eyes off Molly. "I can't just leave. Not yet…"

Trading sorrowful glances, everyone dragged their feet as they made their way towards the exit, thunder groaning again.

But Marina halted, perking her ears as a light metallic rattling caught her attention. When she turned around to identify what it was, her stomach sank. The others turned to see what was wrong.

"No," Marina whispered.

It was Tingley's broach.

It danced against the ground before rising up, the gem in its center gleaming. A titanic bolt of lightning struck it, causing it to explode in a blinding light.

Tingley had returned.

She was a shadow given form, darker than black and draped in a whirl of purple fire. Her energy was so vile and so vast, George lost his lunch.

"Surely!" she laughed, her voice cold and otherworldly. "You didn't think it would be so easy?"

"Great," Jenna grunted, shielding her eyes from the violent gusts of wind and dust. "What now?"

Marina stepped forward.

"We fight," she concluded. "She's weaker than she was before," Marina could sense.

Tingley's laughter sent chills down everyone's spine. "And yet! Not one of you is a match for me."

"Maybe not one of us," Marina agreed.

"...Datillo," Jenna grinned, readying herself, "I like the cut of your jib."

Sue Ellen formed up with them before looking over her shoulder to Binky, George, and Prunella. "You three stay clear."

"Mari...please be careful," Prunella implored, her voice at once soft and desperate.

Marina pointed her thumb to her blindfold with a smile, easing Prunella, if only a bit.

"Stick together," Sue Ellen rallied.

Marina gave a firm nod. "Right."

"Come, then," Tingley taunted, unfurling the inky tendrils of her arms to challenge them. "Meet your doom."

They kicked off, soaring towards Tingley as Sue Ellen and Marina vanished on either side of Jenna, who launched into a flying knee. Tingley blocked as Sue Ellen popped back into view on Tingley's left, slamming into her side with a booming roundhouse. When she tried to retaliate, Marina popped in to launch a barrage of fist strikes as Jenna joined in, followed by Sue Ellen. But from her shadowed mass, Tingley grew as many arms as she needed to block every blow, no matter how fast the girls pushed themselves.

As a cold chuckle traveled from the pit of her stomach and out into a monstrous laugh, Tingley flared her terrible ki with enough force to blast the girls back across the field. They kicked up trails of dust as they slid across the dirt like stones skipping on water.

"I hate to say this," Jenna groaned, "But I don't think we can do this without Fern," she admitted.

"We can't ask her to do that again," Marina grunted as she got up. "That's a power you can never get back once it's spent. Who knows how many years that shaved off her lifespan? I can't imagine the toll it's taken on her."

Sue Ellen processed Marina's words as she eyed Fern across the field, slumped and despondent.

"Is this it, then?" Jenna asked with a deathly sincerity.

Marina simply looked on at Tingley, a seemingly unbeatable wildfire of hate...

"I don't know about you guys," Sue Ellen started, "but I don't plan on just rolling over for this monster."

"So it's a fight to the finish…" Jenna confirmed, struggling back to her feet. "Works for me."

At this, Marina shot a puzzled glance at Jenna.

"If we survive this, I'll have done something people will remember me for. Even if it's just you guys. That was the whole reason I came here. And if we don't survive this...well, I'll be glad to go down alongside people I can call friends."

"It's not over yet," Marina smiled.

"Finished with your goodbyes?" Tingley teased from across the field.

"JUST ONE MORE!" Jenna called out as she planted her feet and began to roll her shoulder behind her head, turning it faster and faster until the ki she had concentrated in her hand enveloped her entire arm in an orange blaze. "IT'S FOR YOU!" she yelled, punching her arm out towards Tingley with all the force she could muster, unleashing a gaping tornado of energy spanning the field that swallowed her.

"Whatever you girls're gonna do, do it now!" Jenna gritted, trying to maintain her attack.

But before they could act, the orange swirl was corrupted into a black fire that traveled towards them from the other end. When it reached Jenna, she shrieked, clutching her arm as the tornado fizzled out. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

Sue Ellen watched as Marina tensed silently.

"Marina, wait-"

Before she could finish, Marina was soaring towards Tingley with her hand cocked behind her head. But as she approached, Tingley grabbed her by the face and slammed her into the earth. Marina tried to get up, but the force of Tingley's attack left her weak.

"Persistent, for an invalid," Tingley spat. "But your miserable existence ends here, I'm afraid…"

"Fern!" Sue Ellen snapped, as if on instinct.

Fern didn't flinch as she gripped Molly's hand.

"I-I need your help! I'm sorry to ask this of you-I'm sorry for everything! I should never have treated you the way I did...But right now, you and me are the only ones left who can stop this! If we don't try, we're gonna lose a lot more people! I swear, I'll never ask anything of you again, just-"

Fern was on her feet. Sue Ellen could feel her ki rising.

_Incredible_, she awed to herself. _After everything, Fern still has so much energy left…_

"Let's make this quick," Fern stated, staring out at Tingley as she walked up beside Sue Ellen, her aura bursting into view.

"Right," she agreed before her own aura erupted around her. "...I wasn't sure you'd be up to this. But I'm glad-"

"You can tell me all about it later at the Sugar Bowl."

Again, Sue Ellen couldn't resist her shock.

Just as Tingley was about to land the final blow to Marina, she sensed a sudden power spike and reared her head to see her new challengers.

"Round two, then?" she laughed, turning to face them. "Please..."

"I killed you once before," Fern threatened. "I can do it again."

Tingley's ghoulish smirk vanished. Their powers didn't stop growing.

"Channel your ki into every blow," Fern instructed. "Basic physical attacks won't work."

"Got it," Sue Ellen confirmed, unused to seeing Fern so assertive.

Fern turned to Sue Ellen, giving her a reassuring smile. It caught her off-guard, but soon gave her a sudden burst of confidence. She smiled back before they both readied themselves before Tingley.

They broke the sound barrier on their approach, whamming into Tingley with all the force of two stellar objects. An earth-moving punch from Fern sent Tingley careening across the sky. Sue Ellen answered with a reverse roundhouse kick that sent Tingley whistling back down with a deafening shockwave. They volleyed the demonic secretary back and forth across the field, to and fro through the air with uncanny coordination as the others watched in amazement.

"Now!" Fern barked as they sent Tingley flying into the air.

They landed on the ground and formed up together, cheek to cheek as they combined their hands and heaved in unison as two mighty rivers of ki converged, a torrent of energy erupting from their hands in a spiralling pillar of emerald light.

Tingley struggled against the girls' combined energy wave. She had not been pushed this far in combat since her battle with Nadine so many years ago. Her fell hands stayed the blast mere inches from her twisted face.

"Not like this," she growled. "Not to children!"

Sue Ellen began to panic. "Fern-"

"Keep pushing!" Fern ordered. "Give it everything you've got-everything you are!"

Sue Ellen opened the well within herself wider, channeling her spirit out through their hands. The beam intensified, swelling with a sudden gust of wind.

"THIS IS NOT THE END FOR ME, YOU WRETCHED CREATURES!" Tingley boomed, countering their energy with her own as she managed to shove the blast back towards them.

"Fern," Sue Ellen grunted through her teeth, "I-I can't keep this up…"

Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder as more ki flowed into their attack, suddenly a brighter hue of green.

"What?" Tingley hissed.

It was Binky. Their energy wave inched back towards Tingley as a hand landed on Fern's shoulder: Marina's. And on Marina's back, Jenna's hand landed, forcing the whitening blast closer to their common enemy.

"Th-thanks, guys," Fern struggled. "But I don't know if this is enough-"

A surge of new energy strengthened their attack as Rattles had his hand on Binky's back. "For Molly!" he called out.

"For Molly!" Binky echoed.

"For Molly," Jenna cried.

"For Molly," Marina agreed.

"...For Molly," Sue Ellen chimed.

Tears were floating off Fern's face as she heard her voice in her head.

_I'm proud of you..._

Fern was swallowed in a blue inferno of genki as their energy blast was amplified even more, perfectly white.

Tingley's grapple with the ever-swelling torrent of ki began to falter.

"No...NO! THIS IS NOT HOW IT ENDS!"

"FOR MOLLY!" Fern roared.

Together, they all released a kiai that harmonized as it rang through the air, releasing all their anger and their hope into the energy blast.

Their combined ki began to eat through Tingley's hands as she screeched in agony, being enveloped totally by the righteous rage of these young fighters. The demon crumbled in the pure light of their power, dissolving to nothingness in a blinding flash.

Her crackling broach evaporated last.

Tingley was gone.


	34. Chapter 34: Sacrifice

Chapter Thirty-Four: Sacrifice…

The clouds had finally parted, revealing a sinking sun.

Sue Ellen found herself caressing Fern's hair as she cradled her head on her lap. Fern had become terribly pale, barely conscious as George knelt beside her, holding her hand. It was cold to the touch.

Prunella held Marina, who cried as she gripped her blindfold in her hand. Everyone was exhausted, but in time their strength would return; Marina knew that Fern would not survive tapping into her genki a second time.

Binky and Rattles were standing beside Molly. Rattles had removed his cap and stared at her in silence as tears rolled down his cheeks. Binky's face was also wet as he massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Someone's coming," Jenna said as the hurried sound of tiny footsteps drew closer.

It was D.W.

"D.W?" Binky choked. "What're you doing here? You shouldn't see this," he chided, trying to hide Molly's body by standing in front of her.

"It's Nadine," she explained, huffing. "She said she can help you guys."

"...Nadine?" Jenna echoed.

"D.W," Binky sighed, his voice shaking. "This is serious."

Nadine materialized before them, giving everyone a startle.

"I was right," Nadine thought aloud. "Being connected to Fern's genki granted you all her sight..."

No one said a word or moved an inch.

"Erm, right. S-sorry. Hello, everyone. I'm Nadine."

"W-what are you?" Marina awed.

"A friend," she answered, floating over to Fern. She stopped when she noticed Sue Ellen and George tighten their grip on Fern. "It's alright. I promise. But I have to act quickly. She doesn't have much longer."

They eased, so Nadine approached and held out her hands over Fern's body.

Marina watched as an otherworldly energy poured from Nadine's hands and into Fern, like water into an empty vessel. Soon, her lifeforce was as strong as ever. Both Sue Ellen and George gave sighs of relief as Fern sat up and rubbed her face. When she removed her hand to see Nadine, her expression turned cold.

"I told you you were cut out for this," Nadine smiled.

"You," Fern whispered. "You knew."

Nadine looked down. "I-"

"You knew this would happen," Fern accused as she rose to her feet. "You _counted_ on it!"

"Fern, plea-"

"You let us walk right into Tingley's trap, knowing all the time how dangerous it would be!"

The others exchanged confused glances. Nadine could say nothing.

"Well congratulations, _friend_," Fern spat as she approached Nadine, "You got what you wanted. Your arch-nemesis is gone. And all it took was…" She swallowed before her lungs quivered as she drew breath, her eyes wet with grief.

Nadine was in tears. "Fern, I am so sorry…"

"You're sorry?" she couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "MOLLY IS DEAD, NADINE. SHE'S DEAD!"

Her shout was carried far and wide on the wind.

"And you know what?" Fern asked, face to face now with Nadine. "I blame you."

"Fern," George soothed.

"No! My best friend is gone because this...this _guardian_ used her-used all of us-as pawns in her game to get rid of Tingley. What if more of us had died? What if we all died? What then? How would you have justified that?"

"Tingley needed to be stopped," Nadine stressed.

"AT WHAT COST?"

"Please, Fern...Let me make it right."

"How?" she croaked with a lump in her throat. "How can you possibly-"

"I'm begging you. Just listen."

Fern shook in silence as she waited to hear what Nadine had to say.

"You're right," she started. "I put you all at risk. I needed warriors who would fight my war for me. Because I couldn't. And Molly...Molly paid the price. Which is why I'm willing to trade my life for hers."

"What?" D.W. exhaled.

"I can bring her back, Fern. And...and it will be the last thing I ever do…"

Fern could say nothing as she struggled to believe Nadine's words.

"The threat is gone. The earth...it doesn't need me anymore. I have the power to try to make things right. And that makes it my responsibility. But first," Nadine paused, surveying the ruined stadium, "the damage that was done today must be forgotten."

Nadine landed, laying her palm on the dirt. And from her palm, grass returned to the field; the lei tai was restored and soon, Crosswire Stadium was as good as new, blimp and all.

"Now," she sighed, looking around. She snapped her fingers and suddenly, every spectator, all the production crew and medical staff-every soul who had been in attendance was back, right where they had been before Molly lost control of herself. But they all sat frozen in place, totally suspended.

"After everything that's happened," Nadine started, turning to the kids, "you all deserve to live normal lives, unburdened by these people's questions and fears. Before I unpause all their minds, we need an outcome for the tournament, a story for Elwood to believe...we need a winner."

"You mean we all have to pick which one of us wins?" Binky asked.

"We have to lie?" Jenna processed aloud.

Nadine nodded. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. Perhaps one day, when you're all ready, they can know the truth. But until then..."

Jenna gave a loud exhale before smiling. "Well. I know who I'm voting for," she said, looking at Fern.

"Seconded," Marina agreed, sniffling.

"Yeah," Binky sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Walters has my vote," Rattles chimed, nodding in respect.

Fern's lip quivered. She was at a loss for words.

"She saved us all, and nearly gave her life to do it," Sue Ellen declared. "Fern deserves this."

It was after George placed a comforting hand on Fern's shoulder that all eyes fell on Prunella.

"Under any other circumstance," she started, "I'd say Marina should win-"

"Prunella," Marina scolded.

"But you guys are right. Fern should be the one who wins."

"It's done," Nadine said, opening her eyes after a spell. "...Once I'm gone, these people will wake up and believe that Fern won the tournament. They won't remember all the terrible things that happened here today. And now," she sighed, turning to Molly.

"This isn't right," Fern choked as a tear dropped from her cheek.

"No. None of it was right. Which is why I need to do this."

"But Nadine," D.W. pleaded, hurrying up to her.

"It's alright, D.W. This is something I have to do. A chance to make up for my mistakes. One last gift to the earth.…"

D.W. was so overcome that she could do nothing but watch her drift over to Molly.

"It's up to you all to defend the earth, now-from whatever may come...I couldn't leave it in better hands," she smiled, looking into all their faces.

"Nadine," Fern called, brow furrowed. "I'm...sorry. For the things that I said…"

"Don't be. Everything you said...was true. And I needed to hear it. Thank you. Goodbye, Fern Walters," Nadine said before turning to D.W. "And goodbye, D.W."

"I'll miss you," D.W. mewled.

"And I'll miss you. But I'll always be with you. Never forget that, okay?"

"Okay…"

Nadine never took her eyes off D.W. as she placed her hand on Molly's chest before glowing brighter and brighter, until all were forced to shield their eyes. When the light had faded, Nadine was gone.

No one moved a muscle as a warm breeze swept over the field, swaying the grass. Then, Molly's finger twitched.

"MOLLY?" Fern gasped, falling to her knees beside her.

Molly groaned before propping herself up on her elbows, eliciting relieved sighs from everyone. "Anybody got any gum?"

Fern couldn't help but laugh as her tears were now full of joy.

"Fern?" Molly wondered aloud, disbelief in her breath.

"Yes-yes, it's me," Fern croaked.

"Fern," Molly exhaled, wrapping her arms around her. They embraced, sobbing into one another.

Rattles had to turn his back; he'd never been this emotional in front of others before. He'd never been so happy.

"AW, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer suddenly blared. "OUR CHAMPION COMFORTS HER SENSEI AFTER A ROUSING VICTORY! WHAT A GAL!"

The audience swelled in a warm cheer.

Muffy bolted out of the entrance and into the field faster than anyone had ever seen her move before. "And?" she wheezed. "Did I win?"

Jenna was the first to laugh.


	35. Chapter 35: Let's Go Home

Chapter Thirty-Five: Let's Go Home

The sun was setting, casting a gorgeous spectrum of orange, pink, and darkening blue across the sky. The awards ceremony was over. Fern split her winnings among them all evenly, but gave her share to D.W, who went home filled with mixed emotions.

As the stadium thinned, it was time to go. An indignant Muffy Crosswire had already been chauffeured home. The competitors were grouped together in the parking lot outside, joined by Prunella and George. The final passersby could only assume they were sore losers due to their solemn faces.

"Feels like this is the beginning of the rest of our lives or something," Jenna thought aloud.

"I guess you're right," Prunella agreed. "Nothing's gonna be the same after today...I just can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing..."

"We're all still here," Marina encouraged. "And Tingley is gone. She can't hurt anyone else ever again. That's what really matters."

Rattles turned away, throwing down his skateboard.

"Rattles," Molly called, halting him before he pushed off. He didn't turn around. "I didn't see you crying earlier, did I?"

He let out a soft sigh, hiding his smile with his back turned. "You must be seein' things," he said softly.

Molly smirked in silence before offering, "We'll talk later."

"Sure," he smiled before pushing off. Everyone watched as he shrank into the distance.

"So?" Prunella prodded Marina. "How's about a lift?"

"Now, there's an idea," Sue Ellen enthused, picking Binky up without warning before drifting into the air.

"H-Hey, wait a minute!" he protested as she giggled. "Put me down, I…" Binky trailed off, left speechless by the sunset over Elwood.

"C'mon," Fern sighed with a smile, beckoning George. "Let's go home."

The air was warm against their skin as they flew over their city, looking on it in a way they never had before. Binky was ecstatic. "I can see my house from here!" he laughed.

"You know what?" he mused, almost to himself; it was clear he'd given what he had to say a lot of thought. "Even though the tournament was bogus and everything...I'm glad I fought anyway. It was probably the best thing I ever did."

A soft chuckle came from Marina. "You're right. All in all, I'm glad I entered, too."

"Yeah," Sue Ellen agreed, thoughtful but positive, "I don't think I'll ever forget this day."

"I'll say!" George gushed. "I saw some pretty incredible things today." He was looking at Fern all the while, who held him close. He could tell she was lost in her thoughts again. "Hey," he whispered, bringing her back gently. She blinked at the sound of his hushed voice, returning his smile with a blush.

"What _did_ happen while I was out?" Molly finally asked.

"Oh man, you should have seen it!" Jenna exploded. "Fern lit up like the fourth of July after you, uh…"

"Died?" Molly offered plainly.

"It was quite the sight," Marina added. "I never thought anyone could tap into their origin chi."

Molly snapped her gaze to Fern, who looked on in painful reminiscence.

"She saved us," Sue Ellen confessed.

"Hm," Molly smirked, looking ahead.

"So what was it like?" Prunella couldn't help but ask. "You know...dying and all?"

All eyes were on Molly now, who thought in silence for a moment.

"It...actually didn't hurt as much as I always thought it would. But, then…"

Fern watched her closely. She knew her well enough to sense that whatever the truth was, Molly didn't want to share it.

"Let's just be thankful that Molly's back with us," Fern interrupted.

"You're right," Prunella admitted. "I'm sorry, Molly…"

"You're good," she pardoned.

Jenna broke the silence afterwards. "This is my stop, you guys. I just wanna say thank you...for everything. Before today, I felt like a nobody. Now," she paused, smiling, "I feel like somebody."

Marina floated forward. "It was an honor to fight you, Jenna. And an even greater one to fight alongside you. I'm proud to call you my friend."

They clasped in a friendly arm wrestle handshake as they traded grins, grips firm.

"You and I aren't done yet," Jenna challenged.

"Not by a long shot," Marina accepted.

"Catch ya later, guys and gals," she parted before giving Fern and Molly a firm nod. With smiles, they returned the gesture before Jenna descended to her house as everyone flew on.

Before long, it was time for Sue Ellen and Binky to veer off.

"Fern," Sue Ellen hesitated. There were so many things she wanted to say…

"Tomorrow," Fern assured her. "Sugar Bowl. You're paying."

"Tomorrow," Sue Ellen smiled. "Thank you, Fern..."

After they had departed and the rest of them continued on, Fern caught Molly smirking at her. She turned her gaze ahead once Fern realized she'd been watching her.

"What?" Fern asked.

But Molly only smiled.

"This is me," George said after some time, gesturing below.

"Wait up for me, will you?" Fern asked the girls. They nodded.

"Lundgren," Molly suddenly called.

"Huh?" George answered. Fern was just as puzzled as he was.

"I'm...sorry."

"Sorry?" George echoed. "For what?"

"For calling you a...coat rack," she mumbled before clearing her throat.

George laughed as Fern grinned, quite impressed.

"I completely forgot about that," he absolved. "That's alright! Apology accepted," he smiled, offering her a thumbs up. Molly hesitated in shame, but returned the gesture with a smirk.

As Fern descended onto George's driveway, she felt his heartbeat quicken.

"What's the matter, George?" she asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he sighed, his breath shaking. "Thanks for the lift," he said.

"You don't have to thank me, George," she laughed.

"Yes I do," he whispered, as if to himself. The way he was looking at her made her blush.

"Is there...something you want to say?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

George swallowed. "Fern, I...good night," he sighed.

Fern felt her spirits sink as she nodded her head and turned to fly away.

"Fern, wait!"

Her heart skipped a beat as she hung in the air, waiting to hear what her sweet George had to say.

"I...I think you're really special, Fern. I knew it before today-ever since I first met you. I knew it all along...And I...well, I just feel lucky to get to say I know you."

Fern didn't say anything as her feet touched the ground again. She strode right up to him.

"Whu-"

Fern threw her arms around him and held him, silent in the middle of the driveway. "Goodnight, George," she whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek and turning away, rising back into the sky without looking back. She heard him giggling uncontrollably as she rejoined the others.

"And?" Molly demanded.

"Almost," she smiled as they carried on.

Soon, it was time for Marina and Prunella to touch down.

"I have to thank you both," Fern stressed. "If it weren't for your help…"

"If it weren't for our help, we'd all be toast," Prunella added matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," Fern chuckled. "...Thank you."

"Eh," Prunella shrugged. "No biggie."

"Thank you, Fern," Marina interrupted, after clearing her throat. "I've learned so much watching you. You've shown me that I still have new plateaus to reach-greater mastery to achieve, in body and in spirit. I think you may be the greatest fighter who ever lived," she admitted.

"That means a lot, Marina," Fern confessed, rubbing the back of her neck in bashfulness.

Marina bowed to Molly, who did the same.

"Thanks, you two," Molly finally said. "I mean it."

And then they parted, leaving Fern and Molly to sail across the night sky. They stopped when they reached Fern's house. They watched each other in silence for a long while, eyes welling up as their hearts did all the talking. Soon, they were embracing each other.

"Wanna come over?" Fern sniffed. "My dad's gonna cook."

"I can't," Molly muttered. "I need to see my brother. Gotta feel him in my arms, you know?"

"Yeah," Fern choked.

"Fern?"

"Yeah?"

"You did good, okay?" Fern was sobbing uncontrollably into her shoulder upon hearing this, gripping Molly's gi as if she were afraid that she'd wake up and Molly would still be dead. "You did real good."

She swept Fern's tears away with her thumbs as she held her face, hands trembling. "Now I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

"Go home, eat, and get some rest. Call me in the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"I gotta go now, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay…"

Fern watched her best friend fly off into the dark of night. She knew she would see Molly again soon, and this warmed her face with a smile.

Her parents were waiting on the porch when she approached the house. They leapt up and rushed to hold her: their little girl, suddenly so grown up.

"So?" Doria teased. "Was it the end of the world?"

Fern said nothing as she laughed and cried, at peace in the arms of her parents.

The End


End file.
